*We’re sceptical of circumstances which violate constitutional provisions, says Baba-Ahmed.
*Posture, attitude of Southern elites not giving confidence to the North – Shettima

Findings conducted by Saturday Telegraph have revealed that the Northern establishment is very wary of the likelihood of a president of Southern extraction in the post Muhammadu Buhari era next year. The tenure of Buhari who was elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will complete his tenure next year when he is expected to handover to a new leader as constitutionally mandated.

The eventuality of Buhari’s exit is however causing some form of concern for the Northern elite who are worried that the likelihood of a Southern leader in 2023 might necessitate a situation that would eventually place their region at economic and political disadvantage.

This situation has prompted leaders of the region across a broad political, religious and business spectrum to begin the process of weighing their options ahead of the forthcoming election. According to findings conducted by our correspondent, the leaders in the region hinge their fears on some issues, emanating from the South at least in the last two years, which are causing them serious concerns.

The issues include the continued separatist agitations, deafening calls for resource control as well the ceaseless clamour by their Southern counterparts for restructuring of both the polity and economic structures. Those who spoke to our correspondent on the development maintained that the unity of purpose within the ranks of Southern governors who have been meeting recently and taking far reaching collective decisions on behalf of the people of their region is also giving cause for concern in the North.

To counter these waves of agitations and to ensure that the political and economic advantages being enjoyed by the region is not in any way eroded or totally disrupted, two broad options are being considered. According to those who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity on the issue, the first plan is to make sure that another one of their own succeeds Buhari next year.

"Should the call for restructuring, separatist agitations continue, we will ensure that someone who has the confidence of the North from the South emerges next year,” the source stated. He added: “We have been working day and night to ensure that we don’t lose out next year and we are dead serious about that and we have put machinery in motion to achieve that.”

When contacted by our correspondent, the Director of Public Affairs of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, dismissed such fears of power shift by politicians in the North but maintained that strict adherence to the rule of law should be the basis for electing the nation’s leader next year. Speaking in a telephone chat with our correspondent, he cautioned politicians in the country from making inflammatory statements that would heat up the polity, saying the electorate must be given the rights to freely elect their leaders. Baba-Ahmed stated that narrowing the choice to a particular area of zone would not do the nation any good but that a free and fair contest will ensure that the best from any part of the country will emerge as the president in the end.

“The North is not wary of where the president comes from. What we are wary of is the circumstances which violate constitutional provisions and the rights of all parties to field candidates irrespective of where they (the candidates) come from and the rights of citizens to vote for them. “All these talks about whether it must be from any particular part of the country are not founded on the law. I mean the fundamental law of the land or on the basic principle of democratic process. We are wary about making politics of intimidation and harassment. We are wary of making our democratic process a victim of blackmail.”

He said. He concluded that there must be confidence building amongst all the component parts making up the country as well as consensus on the best material to emerge without any part of the country harbouring some fears about the leader. Commenting on the issue, the President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, spoke in the same vein. He said that the attitude and disposition of the political elites in the South are giving the region some concern. Shettima accused Southern leaders of employing blackmail and maintaining hard line posture to push their case for power shift. According to him, “It’s not about fears but about dishonesty on the part of some Southern leaders. The country is not as bad as it is now. Today, we are more divided as a people than ever before.

“The worry is that the posture and attitude of political elites in the Southern part to power is not giving confidence to the people of the North. That’s just the issue.” Shettima specifically blamed the utterances and the posture of the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum and Ondo State Governor, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, for heating up the polity via his insistence that the next president of the country must come from the Southern part of the country. “The likes of (Governor) Akeredolu whom some of us have profound respect for, we see that some of his words are quite disturbing saying the South must produce the president. My question is, what must a democracy be?” He counseled politicians in the South to lobby their Northern counterparts rather than resorting to what he termed as threats to achieve their aim, adding, “politics is a game of numbers.”

A chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna, Mallam Umar Sani, stated that the region is not averse to the prospect of a Southern president but that elites in the South should lobby more instead of being militant.
Sani, who also spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, also maintained that such agitations must be carried out within known democratic processes and via lobby. The former Presidential spokesman said: “The North is not opposed to a Southern president. Let me tell you, so Southerners are making inflammatory statements that are making the North very angry. Akeredolu said, it is a must. That must be making waves in the North. Wike said he will choke the North.”

https://www.newtelegraphng.com/restructuring-separatist-agitations-reasons-norths-wary-of-power-shift/

Who ever told north that restructuring or even separation won't benefit them is the biggest enemy of the north

The north has all it takes to be a successful region
Easy access to land , fresh water , cheap labour ,and resources

Every region has what it takes to grow really

This is the real reason the north may not support tinubu or even the south west but look for a puppet in the SS.... because from all indications it's the south west that are most serious about restructuring from the coming together of the governors forming Amotekun to Lagos push for control of Igr, to pastor adeboye's stance on restructuring......south west leaders know and have always known that after the south south they stand to benefit the most from a restructured Nigeria. The north won't allow this but pair someone like ameachi with El-Rufai or another strong northerner as VP and ameachi will spend his first term trying to please the north whom he's loyal to and trying to fix buhari's screwups.

Logically yes....the Parasites of the North should be concerned when Southerners emerged on the seat of power....we gonna let them know how hot the Sahara desert feels....

PoorVerty would be the trademark.
Bandits n Jihadists would the the only job for their boys

Cursed parasites why are they all so scared of restructuring nigeria? If it was to be the north that was blessed with the natural resources that nigeria solely depends on for survival and it's politically disadvantaged will these useless northern leaders still be shouting that democracy is a game of numbers?