There are indications that the North is planning to foist its preferred presidential candidates of southern extraction on the two main political parties, if the region’s bid to retain power beyond 2023 fails.

A source, who is privy to the plan, told our correspondent that the plot is part of North’s strategy to ensure that it decides whoever succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari, whether a northerner or southerner. The plan, he further revealed, is aimed at ensuring that whoever emerges as the next president protects the interest of the North post-2023.

New Telegraph gathered that to actualise the plan, some northern political leaders have already been constituted into think tanks to shop for what was described as “credible candidates” of from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Both parties are still wavering on where their respective presidential tickets will go – between the North and South.

The source, who is privy to the move by the North, told our correspondent that it is the region’s ‘Plan B’, should both parties agree to cede the presidency to the South after Buhari. Power is expected to shift to the southern part of the country in 2023, given the power rotation deal between the North and South, which took effect with the return to civil rule in 1999.

But indications are that the battle for the presidency may go beyond a north/ south affair if emerging developments in the polity are anything to go by. Some northern political leaders are insisting that their region should hold on to power after Buhari’s second term.

Their quest is premised on the need for the North to have another four years in order to be at par with the South as regards occupancy of the presidency since 1999.

The present democratic dispensation would be 24 years old by 2023 and the power rotation arrangement, though not constitutional, has seen the South had the presidency for 13 years through Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (South-West, 1999-2007) and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (South-South, 2010-2015). For the North, the region would have been in power for 11 years by the time Buhari completes his second term as Umaru Yar’Adua, who succeeded Obasanjo in 2007, passed on after three years in office.

Besides the zoning debate, some other northern leaders are insisting on abandonment of the power rotation arrangement, not only for the Office of the President, but for other political offices as currently obtainable in the country. However, the position of southern leaders is that it would be suicidal for the North to retain power after Buhari, given that Nigeria’s unity is presently under threat. Irrespective of political divide, most political leaders in the South are of the view that the nation risks civil and constitutional crises, which may aggravate issues on ground if zoning of the presidency is abandoned.

Perhaps, the zoning debate, also explains why the two leading political parties have refrained from declaring which of the country’s political divides will get their respective tickets for the 2023 presidential election as well as the waitinggame being played by the various presidential hopefuls.

But confiding in New Telegraph that the North may back down from fielding a presidential candidate in 2023, a top northern politician, who spoke with the newspaper, said all the region wants in 2023 is a win-win situation.

He also disclosed that decision makers in the region are already looking at some politicians of southern extraction as possible presidential candidates, who, the North will in turn extract commitments from to ensure protection of the region’s interest after Buhari. Already penciled down by some northern APC leaders, the source further disclosed, are two ministers in the Buhari cabinet.

Surprisingly, the duo hail from the South-East. They are the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, and his Science and Technology counterpart, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

This seems to contrasts the belief in some political quarters that the APC presidential ticket for the 2023 election would be ceded to the South-West, with a former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as the main contender.

The conviction, perhaps, stemmed from the fact that the ruling party is more rooted in the South-West than the East. Presently, APC controls five of the six states of the zone – Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo. In the South-East, the party is only in charge in two of the five states of the zone – Imo and Ebonyi states.

But the source, who spoke on the South-East chances of clinching the ruling party’s presidential ticket, said: “Onu is a Buharist to the core. He is also cool-headed, intelligent, experienced as a former governor and has no baggage. So, he is a potential candidate.

He has a lot of IOUs (I Owe You) to run on in 2023.” He added: “You will recall the role he played in 1999, when he stepped down as the presidential candidate of All Peoples Party (APP) to pave the way for the pact between the party and Alliance for Democracy to work, so that the contest would be South- West affair. That shows that he is a statesman.

“He doesn’t have all the money to prosecute a presidential project, but there are people in the North, who are ready to put their money on the table for him. I will also tell you that all the North will do to see to Onu’s emergence as APC presidential candidate is to mobilize delegates from the region to vote one-way at the party’s presidential primary election and he will defeat any other candidate.”

The source, particularly, noted that the game plan by the North is fast gaining currency within the APC fold than the PDP, as the ruling party will throw the contest for its presidential ticket open, while the main opposition party appears to have concluded that its ticket will go to the North.

Asked whether voters in the North will not prefer to support the PDP if the party opts for a northern presidential candidate, the source maintained that most northern electorate will still go with the APC in 2023 even if the PDP fields a candidate from their region as according to him, what matters most to the people of the region at the moment is a president who will stabilize the country.

“Insecurity is further accentuating poverty in the North and that explains why some people and groups in the region are calling on Buhari to resign as president. All the region is in interested at the moment is stability.

But when it comes to making choices, I don’t think the North is going to make a shift from the APC. “The people of the region would be guided by interest, when taking decision on who becomes the next president.

And it will interest you to know that North is more ready for progressive politics ahead of 2023. So, the consensus of most people in the region is that Nigeria needs a president, who will ensure security and development.” he said.

Islie:






https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2023-north-plans-to-impose-presidential-candidates-on-south/


Lalasticlala

Fahdiga1:
They can plan for whatever they want but all we know is that no reasonable Nigerian will vote for a Fulani man as president again. If they foist their useful idiots of southern extraction on Nigerians then it will be easier for we the southerners to handle the useful idiots the way they wouldn't like

Obamaofusa:
Yoruba nation is here to stay.

T9ksy:



Please, do tell us how we southerners will handle the useful idiots, the fulanis decides to foist on us as our presiidiot, come 2023?

When they imposed Objoke on us in 1999, how did we handle him? Recall, it was soon after that time that, another fulani mo.ron came up with sharia. Hundreds of southerners were slaughtered by yerima's disciples whilst Objoke did nada. In fact, when asked by the british press as to the ongoing killings currently happening in his country, ObJoke shrugged his shoulders in response and added "I dey Kampe"!!! He had no intention of confronting those who brought him to Arsehole rock from prison.

No sane southerners should even consider voting in that useless country. The sooner we cut our losses and go our separate ways, the better for the incoming generation. Nigeria , as it is now is on its last leg, someone please pull the plug.

Obamaofusa:
Yoruba nation is here to stay.

pedrilo:

Bros, if the north and APC shud push onu forward, I would advice u guys to shelve ur yoruba nation agitation till after his tenure oh because if u dnt, he will surely treat u guys in d language dat u will understand.
U hav had a shot at presidency tru obj for 8 yrs and d igbos swallowed their pride, u had anoda shot at presidency for anoda 8yrs tru Osinbajo, in total 16yrs and d igbos allowed u, dnt make d mistake of disturbing d igbos else else else hmmmmm

valentineuwakwe:
Story for the gods....let them try it and see. Gone are the days the south pretends as if nothing. peoplehave come to knw the reality n with the way things are going, we should be ready to start bidding farewell to Naija areafrom 2022.

anyway, My advice to northerners is; if you still love this your one nigeria thing, jeje return power to the south, even if its south south no wahala!

kmcutez:


Please go back to school. Your grammar and thought process is atrocious. It is not by force to discuss politics.

Tinubuadvocate:
Fake news this is our incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Adekunle GCON.

Tinubuadvocate:
Fake news this is our incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Adekunle GCON.