The umbrella body for social and political groups in Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum, on Sunday said the north was blackmailed into accepting the concept of rotational presidency.
The concept, which allows for rotation of the Presidency, between the north and the south, was adopted by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in 1999 with the South producing the first President in the person of Olusegun Obasanjo, while the North produced late President, Umaru Yar’Adua, the second President, in 2007.
The ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, said the North was blackmailed into the politics of power shift, rotation and zoning during the Constitutional Conference of between 1994 and 1995, adding that the creation of the six geopolitical zones was also canvassed by southern delegates.
He said, “But when the practice of the arrangement was put to test soon after President Yar’Adua died and the North spiritedly tried to defend it, the same South called the North names.
“And finally, Nigerians passed their judgment against rotation when they voted President (Goodluck) Jonathan. As democrats, the North accepted the judgment of Nigerians that, may be, factors which informed rotation initially no longer exist. So be it. The North is ready to go by the majority view and go by proper democracy.”
The ACF spokesman said the North had constituted a committee to articulate its demands in the constitutional review to be embarked upon by the National Assembly.
It said its positions on issues listed for consideration would be forwarded to the National Assembly as soon as the committee it constituted finished its work.
Apparently giving an insight into the thinking of the North, Sani told our correspondent, “There is no doubt that the creation of states has brought a lot of development across the country, including the stemming of the drift to former regional capitals, thereby opening the rural areas by way of the new state capitals. But it seems we have reached the point of diminishing returns. As a result, states are about becoming mere effort or cost centres that divert resources from critical development areas to management of bureaucracy
Punch
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
the North are sore losers, they are just angry that things are not so rosy for them right now and it shows they are the ones sponsoring boko H, in order to make the country ungovernable
ReplyDeleteThe North manufacture problems that draw the country backwards. The need the moral courage to challenge their entire cultural and ethical system. The have problems that stem from a beleif system that THE WEALTHY ALHAJIS WITHIN THEM ARE GOD SENT AND THEIR WISHES MUST ALWAYS BE DONE. And so when these their DEMI GODS does anything, it will be accepted as right and when the INFIDELS challenge these DEMI GODS the result is always bloodshed. That is why Buhari is beign defended and no one is asking him to explain those he reffered to as DOGS AND BULLS. The elite among them should challenge this as it is not only affecting them politically but also socially. Look at the issue of ALMAJERI, VVF, POVERTY IN THE NORTH, SOCIAL BREAKDOWN, ILLITERACY etc.
ReplyDeleteNo body is born to rule,What impression are they trying to creat? If the North says they are deceived into rotational presidency,then did they think the office is for them alone? GOD will Decide this time
ReplyDeleteI Am The Next President of Nigeria and Nigerians will be glad having me at the hem of affairs. I shall rebrand democracy in its true sence and it must conform with our peculiarities.Some tenets in the Western type of democracy doesnt really tally with our common interest and good values and must therefore be ammended. God bless Nigeria.
ReplyDelete