The issue of zoning has continued to generate fireworks with the Northern Political Leaders’ Forum (NPLF), Northern Governors’ Forum, Lawal Kaita, Musa Rimi, the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Joju Fadairo and others joining the fray.
Speaking in Jos, leader of the NPLF, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande said they were prepared to dump PDP if the party decided to jettison zoning arrangement midstream.

Ambassador Kwande who addressed journalists on behalf of other prominent Nigerians in the forum including Ibrahim Babangida, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Aliu Gusau and the chairman of the organization, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma and coordinating officer, Dalhatu Yusuf from Kano, said while the organization was neither against President Goodluck Jonathan as a person nor the section of Nigeria where he comes from, it would categorically resist any person or group of persons that would want to bring in sentiments of religion, ethnicity or sectionalism into the issue.

“All we are saying is that it is only morally right to respect an agreement whether written or unwritten, formal or informal especially when such an agreement is meant for the good of all,” he stated.
Kwande alleged that it was the same people calling for the jettisoning of zoning arrangement who worked for the “who the cap fit project during the late General Sani Abacha regime, tenure elongation popularly called third term during Obasanjo’s civilian regime and now the ‘zoning must be dropped project under the guise of credibility’ Here we ask them who is a credible person? Is it any person with power in his hand or what?”

Alhaji Yahaya Kwande recalled that the idea of zoning started the south that feared that the north was dominating the political scene. He said it was only fair not to shift the goal post in the middle of the game just because some people feel doing that would serve their personal interest and not the interest of peace, fairness and justice to all.
He said while the group was not concerned about who becomes Nigeria’s president in 2011, it cared about safe-guarding the system of equity and fairness, which would give all Nigerians, especially minority who, given the current situation of political development of our country would not be able to access and occupy certain political offices in the land.

However, the much expected position of the Northern Governors Forum on the issue may no longer be made known today as earlier promised. According to Daily Sun investigation, this is because the governors have decided to put off the meeting earlier scheduled for today for another date. It was learnt that the meeting may now hold next weekend. Although details of why the meeting was hurriedly put off on Tuesday was sketchy as at press time, sources disclosed that the decision to shelve the meeting might not be unconnected with series of pressures mounted on the governors on the contentious issue of zoning.

Like the contagious Third Term agenda, Daily Sun learnt that governors, especially those interested in second term, appearred cautious in taking a stand, so as not to incur the wrath of their people back home. Besides, it was further learnt that most of the governors were yet to call for a stakeholders meeting in their respective states, as agreed at their last meeting, to discuss the matter.

As at the last count, only four governors have made their positions public, with the Niger State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, insisting that the zoning agreement must be respected. But Benue, Plateau and Adamawa, for now have declared for President Goodluck Jonathan. The governors had during their last meeting on July 1, received in audience two groups from the North, one for zoning and the other against. And after their presentation, the governors promised to go back and hold their own meetings in their respective states before declaring their stand.

“Now that the meeting has been extended by more than a week, it is expected that most of the governors would make their positions known before the next meeting, scheduled for next weekend, “the source added.
Howver, Sokoto Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari has advised against allowing the issue to divide the ruling party and the nation as a whole. Shagari who gave the advice in Sokoto while receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Social Development who paid him a courtesy call explained that PDP zoning system should not be given prominence as to lead to squabble among stakeholders in the party.
The former minister stressed the need for the formation of a common focus that would provide purposeful leadership for the nation.

Meanwhile, the Katsina Stakeholders Forum (KSF) convened by three former governors, Lawal Kaita and Abba Musa Rimi of defunct Kaduna State and Saidu Barda of Katsina State and former agriculture minister, Sani Zango Daura, rose from a meeting on Tuesday with a strong support for zoning. The summit attended by hundreds of stakeholders from the 34 local government areas of Katsina State said the North would not be stampeded out of the zoning formula.

Prominent among the delegates were Senator Abba Ali, erstwhile chairman of Action Congress (AC) in Katsina; Dr. Junaidu Mamuda, former governorship candidate of ANPP; Northern activist, Barrister Aminu Maigari; Alhaji Lawal Idi Bagiwa, Sarkin Fulani Katsina and Usman Dalhatu, secretary of the summit. The meeting, in its communiqué, said “the South as a beneficiary of (zoning) arrangement is morally bound to support the completion of the eight-year northern presidency notwithstanding the death of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.”
It also declared that “the South was rewarded with the presidency in 1999 on a platter of gold as no northern candidate emerged as presidential candidate of the two major political parties, PDP and APP, after reaching a consensus with their southern politicians to give them a chance.”

The forum emphasized that the people of Katsina State remained solidly behind zoning of public offices in 2011 to enable north complete its term. The delegates posited that zoning as enshrined in the PDP’s constitution was introduced in 1999 to stabilize the country after the unfortunate annulment of June 12th election of 1993.
The delegates dismissed the argument that zoning was an interim argument and should therefore be discarded as being canvassed by some sections of Nigeria.

Similarly, former Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Labour Party (LP) senatorial aspirant for Ekiti North Senatorial District, Tale Oguntoyinbo has observed that zoning method was good for the nation’s democracy, because “it created greater sense of belonging among the various ethnic groups in the country.”
He said zoning had reduced rancour among politicians, arguing that it was the reason everyone was curious about how the issue would be resolved. Oguntoyinbo alleged that the fraudulent attitude of the leadership of PDP led to the mass cross-carpeting by many foundation members of the party.

He described PDP as a party devoid of internal democracy, saying “although it is good to look for credible candidates, but is the PDP saying we cannot get a competent candidate from the North West who could be the next president? “The death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua does not mean that anybody cannot come from that area. Although, I want to be less concerned about PDP, but I want to assure you that the zoning crisis will continue to rock PDP and it will eventually mark the end of dominance of the party at the national.”

While throwing his weight behind the issue, Fadairo described zoning describing as ideal for the nation in its quest for political stability. According to him, “zoning is a convenient arrangement within the party (PDP) and the constitution of our party allows it. It has been established.” According to him, though the Nigerian constitution supercedes that of the PDP, zoning remains constitutional unless it bars aspirants from other zones from contesting.
Fadairo stressed that the arrangement will ensure peace within the party as it will bring about minimal struggle for offices.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/july/22/national-07-22-2010-002.htm

entrench the zoning in the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria for the next 50yrs and we all will be for zoning