The Pan Niger Delta Forum has criticized the anti restructuring stance of Senate President Ahmad Lawan. They blasted him for sweeping aside the official position of the southern governors in their last meeting in Asaba.
The group insisted that in line with equity and fairness, the Presidency must return to the south in 2023 when President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure would have been over.
This was contained in a 14-point communique issued after a virtual meeting held on Monday.
The document which was jointly signed by the national leader and national chairman of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark and Senator Emmanuel Essien, was made public on Tuesday.
The communique said PANDEF “Maintains emphatically that the Presidency must rotate to the south in 2023, at the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s two tenures of eight years. It is non-negotiable, a Southerner must succeed President Buhari. Whether the Southerner would come from the South-South, South-East or South West is a different matter entirely.
“Reiterated the call on the National Assembly to accelerate the amendment of the Electoral Act, with the inclusion of provisions for electronic voting, before the 2023 general elections to guarantee free, fair and credible elections. That anything otherwise would be unacceptable.”
The PANDEF also “Strongly condemned the irrational comments of the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, and the provocative expressions of some northern elements, against the decisions of the Southern Governors on Restructuring of the country, and the banning of open grazing.
“Deplored the worsening security situation in the country, with expanding activities of Boko Haram, audacious raids and kidnapping of innocent students by bandits, heartless activities of Fulani herders, and the recent spate of attacks on the police, and called on the Federal Government to live up to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of citizens.”
The body also “Restated its position on the restructuring of the country and insisted that Nigeria cannot continue in the present flawed trajectory. That restructuring is now not only a vital necessity but has become expedient for the survival of Nigeria.”
Source: https://theventrepublic.com/2021/05/19/pandef-blasts-lawan-insists-that-presidency-must-come-to-the-south/

The initial aim of Lawal was to instigate Nigerians against the southern governors. His statement was a calculated attempt to sow seeds of discord into the unity of the SNGF.

Those SNGF came up with 10 solid point and only for rubber stamp Lawal to pick one point and develop a jejune thesis on it.

Never again will the unity of we southerners be divided on political, language , resources, regional and religion lines. Those governors have stated our minds

Lawal can go and further derail his region off the path of progress, but we southerners are collective and strategic in our resolution.

In saner climes, Ahmed Lawan would be no where the Red Chamber howmuch occupying the hallow office of the Senate President.
But this is a place where round pegs are placed in square holes. How in God's name we expect two opposing natures to fit together remains a mystery to me.

SUPPORTED.

LAWAN IS BOKOHARAM

OMOKRI/IGBOHO FOR 2023 PRESIDENT.

That Lawan is just doing his job; Buhari's spokesman in the senate. Nonsense man.

I think I agree with PANDEF on this.

However, there is no need telling Lawal the presidency will be in the South come 2023. There is absolutely no need for that.

Just like warning your bank that you will come to withdraw some of your saved cash whenever you like. As in, do you need to warn the bank? Na when you go and dem tell you say no money for you today, na dat time dem go know wetin dem dey play with.

Dem no dey tell blind man say rain dey fall.

God bless the incoming president, BAT the jagaban.

These one's still dey drag presidency

Praxis758:
The initial aim of Lawal was to instigate Nigerians against the southern governors. His statement was a calculated attempt to sow seeds of discord into the unity of the SNGF.

Those SNGF came up with 10 solid point and only for rubber stamp Lawal to pick one point and develop a jejune thesis on it.

Never again will the unity of we southerners be divided on political, language , resources, regional and religion lines. Those governors have stated our minds

Lawal can go and further derail his region off the path of progress, but we southerners are collective and strategic in our resolution.

I think there is a good chance the South will maintain some political unity from now on.

Not because we love each other but because we recognise a greater existential threat that will thrive with our refusal to unite and fight for political relevance and socio-economic survival.

Simply put, do the right thing or die. It really is a disgrace we talk too much , rather than act, in Nigeria. Let us restructure asap and hand over power to States and regions to chart their own peculiar way forward . It is the only way for Nigeria to gain rapid growth and sustainable development.

Simplyleo:
I think I agree with PANDEF on this.

However, there is no need telling Lawal the presidency will be in the South come 2023. There is absolutely no need for that.

Just like warning your bank that you will come to withdraw some of your saved cash whenever you like. As in, do you need to warn the bank? Na when you go and dem tell you say no money for you today, na dat time dem go know wetin dem dey play with.

Dem no dey tell blind man say rain dey fall.

God bless the incoming president, BAT the jagaban.

To be honest, I was always a vocal advocate of Yoruba Presidency as I believe Nigeria will thrive under the current crop of eligible leaders.

Now, given all we are seeing, I now think we must agitate strongly for restructuring, amendment of our archaic constitution and more socio-economic autonomy for States before the 2023 election.

Those concepts cannot be put off any longer because are greater than the Presidency and critical to Nigeria's growth, development, survival and long term prosperity.

We can cleverly restructure Nigeria in a purist way to entertain genuine freedom for serious States to grow under driven Leaders unencumbered by the unweildiness of central governance illustrates by the rudderlessness of the entire Country under the Buhari-led FG.

If some want to remain backwards then good for them. We really must grow beyond advocating for an ethnic President alone because tough decisions all Nigerians make now under Buhari , before 2023, will be tolerated better than if a Southerner tries to implement same after becoming President in 2023.

A Southerner Presiding over affairs of a 2023 Nigeria that is same as today may be bogged down by incessant protestations from the North for 8 years because they will surely play the ethnic card to frustrate restructuring of Nigeria and the introducuction of badly needed radical changes.

Let us agitate uncompromisingly for restructuring, State policing and more independence for States now so that any Southern President in 2023 will have an easier job taking Nigeria to the next level instead of getting to Aso Rock to be fighting so much red tape and bureaucracy for the first few years.

Bravo for your write-up

I'm beginning to believe that the sleeping state of SNGF is a big blank cheque for northern elites/politicians to frustrate the progressively minded southerners.

Thank God our southern governors are now awake to their responsibilities.

Grayoso:


I think there is a good chance the South will maintain some political unity from now on.

Not because we love each other but because we recognise a greater existential threat that will thrive with our refusal to unite and fight for political relevance and socio-economic survival.

Simply put, do the right thing or die. It really is a disgrace we talk too much , rather than act, in Nigeria. Let us restructure asap and hand over power to States and regions to chart their own peculiar way forward . It is the only way for Nigeria to gain rapid growth and sustainable development.

Praxis758:
Bravo for your write-up

I'm beginning to believe that the sleeping state of SNGF is a big blank cheque for northern elites/politicians to frustrate the progressively minded southerners.

Thank God our southern governors are now awake to their responsibilities.

Let's hope they won't go back to sleep again.

If PANDEF isn't Benue and other politically relegated, irrelevant Christian Association then they should remove the doubt we have on them by supporting Tinubu from the south come 2023!