The Organizing Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Ahmed Lawal on Sunday insisted that power must shift to the Southern part of Nigeria in 2023.
Igbere TV reports that Lawal made the assertions in an interview with newsmen in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
He was reacting to a statement credited to the immediate past Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and a former member of the House of Representatives, Junaid Mohammed, where the duo said the North would retain power in 2023.
Igbere TV recalls that Lawal had stated that it was not compulsory for the North to cede power to the South In 2023, adding that every part of the country was qualified to produce a President for the country.
On if Deputies should always succeed their Principals like Osinbajo succeeding Buhari in 2023, the former SGF said it was not constitutional neither is it a principle recognized by law.
On his part, Mohammed said that the North will present a candidate for 2023 presidential election, as “zoning and rotation of power have collapsed, and as such any region with the political strength can claim the coveted position.”
Reacting to their statements, however, the APC Organizing Secretary stressed the need to demonstrate fairness in the polity, adding that the Southern part of Nigeria supported the Northern part to retain power for eight years.
He, therefore, advised the APC to ensure power rotation in 2023 to enhance national cohesion.
Speaking further, Lawan rejected comments from those he called “some selfish northern politicians” intent on shortchanging the South in the scheme of power play.
He said that the proponents of power retention in the North are selfish as they cannot claim to be speaking for the entire North.
“We must rotate power to southern Nigeria for the spirit of equity, fairness and harmony.
“As far as Nigerian unity is concerned, power shift must become a stabilising principle so that no region will feel relegated and oppressed politically.
“It was instructive that our political leaders sought support from Southerners while APC was mobilising during 2015 election.
“It is glaring that they cooperated well as no southern APC politician contested the primary election during 2015 and even in 2019.
“If we want to be fair to them, let’s allow them to have a feel of power come 2023.
“It is also instructive that those singing Northern power retention cannot speak for the North because they are not authorized.
“As you can see some of them who claim to be members of the APC, worked against the party in the just concluded governorship election to build up PDP to be able to achieve their sinister agenda”, Lawal said.
Lawal, therefore, advised APC members at all levels to ensure they addressed internal squabbles emanating from the just concluded elections with the view to repositioning the party for future elections.”
