The insistence of the South to produce the country’s next president appears to have thrown the Northern political elite into a flurry of meetings on how best to negotiate an acceptable outcome that will keep Nigeria intact before and after 2023 amid feelings of marginalisation in the South.

Across political persua­sions, influential voices in the North, Sunday Inde­pendent learnt, are split over the best approach to resolving the agitation for Southern presidency.

The Northern leaders, it was gathered, are weigh­ing some factors that could make or break the union if not brilliantly tackled at this most tense moment of the nation’s history but there has been no agree­ment so far.

Even among the major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), negoti­ators are rumoured to have run into a brick wall.

Findings by Sunday In­dependent revealed that the APC is determined not to lose power in 2023, while the PDP is also determined to wrest power from the ruling party.

Investigations also re­vealed that two Northern blocs may have emerged, with these two blocs di­vided over what criterion should determine the can­didate that would get their (northern) support.

While a group is sing­ing the equity song, in­sisting that for Nigeria to become cohesive again, they should back a candi­date from the South-East, the other insists that for Nigeria to recover from the destabilization of the past six years, a charismat­ic and capable candidate from any zone should get their backing.

An Abuja-based political analyst, Abdullahi Gimba, in a chat with our corre­spondent, said he believes that the APC and PDP are waiting on each other to elect the preferred candi­dates.

“I think both the APC and PDP are playing a kind of hide and seek game. From the look of things, it is likely that the APC will go towards the south to pick its flag bearer, and from all indications, PDP will likely head towards the north.

“You know the agitation everywhere now is that it is the turn of the south-east because since 1999, they have never been giv­en an opportunity. But the argument now is, to which of the two main parties has the south-east contributed most, it is the PDP.

“But if you ask me, I will tell you that the PDP won’t look the way of the south-east because the par­ty’s power brokers believe that they can only win the election with a candidate from the north.

“And for the APC, I want to believe that the APC power brokers will respect the gentleman’s agreement they had at the party’s formation stage. The ticket will likely go to the south and it will likely go to the south-west. You know the south-east have not contributed much to the APC and so I don’t see them as part of the APC plan,” Gimba said.

Lagos State APC Public­ity Secretary in an inter­view said the APC is look­ing at a situation whereby at the appropriate time, the presidency will be zoned.

According to him, “It is a matter of conscience, morality and principle. It is a matter of gentlemanly agreement at the inception of this party, that the pres­idency should come to the South and zero down to the South-West.

“Whatever number of aspirants may come from the South-West for the presidency, I don’t think it is going to change anything about our expectations.”

When asked if zoning was part of APC Constitu­tion, Oladejo said, “There are a lot of things that you don’t necessarily have to put in the constitution of a party. But they are just things that you want to believe that based on cer­tain understanding, it will happen.

“I am not just having this conversation, a whole lot of prominent people in the party are in gov­ernment, even those old enough have been able to make the situation very clear that zoning is the right and appropriate thing to do.”

Speaking on the chanc­es of the south-east get­ting the APC presidential ticket, the Lagos APC spokesman explained that, “As a matter of fact, if PDP would want to lay any claim to integrity, fair play and justice, the PDP presidential ticket should be zoned to the South-East.

“Since 1999, the South- East has been very loy­al and committed to the course of the PDP. Until the likes of Governor Da­vid Umahi of Ebonyi State crossover to APC and de­spite that, we can safely conclude that South-East is a region for PDP.

“I think if you have certain expectations re­garding some high offices, it also behooves that we should play the right pol­itics to be able to earn it. Power is never served a la carte, you earn it by work­ing for it.

“So, if there is a party that should by right, con­sider the South-East, it should be PDP. You will agree with me that in the South-West ably led by Asi­waju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we contributed greatly to wrestling the power from the then ruling party.

“So, we would expect as a matter of right that the presidential ticket should be zoned to the South West. We have earned it.”

juxeakin:
The only amicable solution is to return presidency to the South

Bluntguy:

Not just South but South East.

Bluntguy:

Not just South but South East.

gawu1:

PDP to South east and APC to South West.
It's time everybody rips what he or she sow.
Where you work is where you eat.

Truthisunique2:
If ameachi emerges from APC with northern vp and Atiku from PDP with south east vp

One tribe would miss out completely

Invictuse:
Even if your father wail to death n beyond that will not happen

gawu1:

PDP to South east and APC to South West.
It's time everybody rips what he or she sow.
Where you work is where you eat.

Gawu 1 of Africa,it's reaps not rips...you are a real GAWU number 1

ceaser:
They have started again, the Northerners I mean.

Okay, let me tell you something y'all might not know.

The Northerners patronised the US to support Buhari's candidacy in 2015. The war on BH had been taking tolls on the Nigerian military and its resources. The US was initially invited to help with the fight but later they withdrew when they found out that secret missions that will help the military campaign were being compromised by moles in the Nigerian military and in the political class.

So eventually the Jonathan government too decided to deny the US further participation in the war. The US who would have loved to continue because of what it stands to gain from Nigeria (the US does not offer to help if it won't get something greater in return). This angered the US government so they won't mind getting GEJ out. Unfortunately too, GEJ has been messing up with his dalliance with corruption in his circles (Diezani is an example) and refusing to yield to the cry of Nigerians to do something about it. So Nigerians were ready to kick him out. As Yorùbás will put it, GEJ became a case of somebody initially targeted for incineration but himself is helping the case more by using an inflammable oil (like petrol for instance) to bath.

In the build up to 2015 elections, major stakeholders in Nigeria including those from the South East and South West held a meeting in Kaduna. The meeting also saw the attendance of some northern governors and it was a forum to discuss the 2015 elections with representatives of the US government . The then governor of Borno was literarily crying and begging the US to support Buhari on the condition that they will give them (the US) free hand in the theatre of the war against BH and terrorism in Northern Nigeria, contrary to what GEJ did. Now that may not be enough incentive for the US, so the northern Nigeria representatives in the meeting threw in another juicy offer which the US may not be able to resist - the promise to cede part of the abundant gold deposits and other mineral resources in the mix to the US when the occupation of their troops in the prosecution of the war on BH takes place. Of course this was in line with the MO of the US in most scenarios (Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan etc) where the troops occupy the country and take over pillaging the rich resources of the place.

The US had no choice but to give Buhari the full weight of their support to win 2015 elections.

I guess they (the northern oligarchy) think they can use the same tactics again. But I doubt this will work this time because apparently Buhari failed to fulfill his own part of the promise the first time.

I was privileged to have this information. The authenticity was further buttressed when an investigative journalist also said the same thing.

You can listen to Godwin the Guru on Lagos Talks FM every weekdays at 9:30am. He's the journalist I'm talking about. When outside Lagos or overseas, I use internet radio app to tune in. It is usually a very revealing session with a lot of stupid and dirty secrets of Nigerian wicked rulership exposed.

Justiceleague1:

There was nothing wrong with Diezani Allison Madueke..
The north simply feels this entitlement mentality that nobody else from other regions should enjoy the pecks of certain ministries..and they know how to cause instigation. What would they've said,what would Nigerians have said or done if Diezani Allison Madueke owned an oil well?! The cry would've been very louder...
But a former petroleum minister Rilwanu Lukeman who was also OPEC chairman owns an oil well and nobody is saying or doing anything about it.
It's ok with the northerners to own everything and now the south westerners (that's if you are a Muslim and loyal) but they get constipated when they perceive that someone from the SS or SE is "doing" too much. Stella Oduah, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Diezani Allison Madueke,are perfect examples.
They also had their gaze of Ndudi Okereke or so,former chairman,NSE and Arunma Otteh but God saved them. God also saved justice Mary Odilli,as they also hard bad plans for her as regards that invasion they are trying to cover up.
Kemi Adeosun got unlucky cos she stepped on "their" toes by doing her job..
The Zainab woman of NPA,inspite of all Amaechi exposed about her, nobody said anything! But if she was from the south east or SS,you people would've been screaming upandan.....you got a long way to go

Justiceleague1:


Gawu 1 of Africa,it's reaps not rips...you are a real GAWU number 1

Justiceleague1:


Gawu 1 of Africa,it's reaps not rips...you are a real GAWU number 1