As Nigeria’s two major political parties struggle to shake off the ensuing schism over power rotation in 2023, a former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has stated that the latest quest by the North to retain power was due to the fear that a southern president could accelerate break-up of the country.

Sani who was a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress,APC, and won election into the 8th Senate on the platform of the party, stated this on Monday in Abuja while fielding questions on the ensuing controversy on power rotation among the various component units in Nigeria.

While members of the APC from the South have stated many times that there exists a gentleman agreement that after the expiration of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, power would shift to the South, the North has however chosen to ignore the arrangement, saying power rotation breeds poor leadership.

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, on the other hand has zoned its National Chairman position to the North, with the hope that its presidential candidate would come from the South.

The issue has led to in-fighting among the two leading political parties and has pitted the North against the South.

However, Sani, who is never shy of controversy, has provided an insight into the thinking of the North saying that the ensuing agitations across the South is causing anxiety and fear in the North, which believes a southern President would not be willing to suppress.

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Critics in the south have accused President Muhammadu Buhari of being eager to deploy the military to clampdown on separatists while ignoring bandits in the North despite the high level of insecurity in the region.

However, Sani said the North’s major concern is the possibility of Nigeria breaking up under a southern president, adding that “Politicians hardly honour gentleman’s agreement.”


Sani stated further that the belligerent attitude of southern governors on open grazing and Value Added Tax has also spurred the North into kicking against ceding power to the South.

The former lawmaker pointed out that collection of VAT by states is not in the interest of states in the north, and a president from the south can easily make it happen.


Sani also commented on the different situations in the two biggest parties and how they may react to 2023 presidency going to the south.

He said the two main parties have different targets because of their unique circumstances. He pointed out that “the separatist agitation have changed the narrative of the North, and there is a likelihood if the situation were normal, they (North) would have agreed but it has reached a stage where daggers are drawn.”

He further averred that, “For the APC, it is honourable for the party to shift power to the south, but the condition is not the same with the PDP,” pointing out that the, “PDP do not have the leverage and the privilege to say this is where the candidate will come from.

“There is no viable presidential candidate in the opposition party who is willing to pump all his resources in the quest for the presidency of Nigeria as an opposition party. Atiku Abubakar remains the only viable person from the opposition party for a number of reasons because he has been contesting for a long time and they do not have the power of deciding where the power should come from.

“How they (PDP) will win the election is first paramount to them but for the APC, it is incumbent on them to, because the President would have spent 8 years by 2023, so it is morally responsible for them to honour it but in PDP it is dicey because they are not in power.”

When Tinubu becomes president, We will send this terrorist people back to their north

PrinceOfLagos:
When Tinubu becomes president, We will send this terrorist people back to their north

Tinubu can only become President of South West NURTW.

Then they better break it up by themselves.

Davash222:

Tinubu can only become President of South West NURTW.

You saw well sir.

Why won't they be afraid? Na the southerners go fear before? Just take a look at how this present administration has made a mess of the unity of this nation. Nigeria has never been more divided than as is witnessed in this regime. Na turn by turn. Power will not reside in the north forever.

PrinceOfLagos:
When Tinubu becomes president, We will send this terrorist people back to their north

Na by magic..
Tinubu no go se a state for north win.. no be by online noise

He no go even see a state for south, east .. win.. no be oduduwA juju..

North ain’t scared.. all Na manipulations that will pay them.
Is politics.

Asgard73:


Na by magic..
Tinubu no go se a state for north win.. no be by online noise

He no go even see a state for south, east .. win.. no be oduduwA juju..

North ain’t scared.. all Na manipulations that will pay them.
Is politics.

I trust Tinubu he will make Oduduwa nation come real quick

Oxb90:
Why won't they be afraid? Na the southerners go fear before? Just take a look at how this present administration has made a mess of the unity of this nation. Nigeria has never been more divided than as is witnessed in this regime. Na turn by turn. Power will not reside in the north forever.

Nothing like southerners bro..

Na south east west.. no common front and language ..

PrinceOfLagos:

I trust Tinubu he will made Oduduwa nation come real quick

Even the oduduwA nation don sink.. Tinubu is on his own

Sophisticated north manipulating politics.. imagine scared of break up

North has never been scared of breakup. BecUse it fits their agenda

Unlike the Yoruba people .. mention biafRA and see real hyperventilating

Asgard73:


Nothing like southerners bro..

Na south east west.. no common front and language ..

Lol
It's almost 2023, you'll see more advocates of Southern unity.

We are watching.

Davash222:

Lol
It's almost 2023, you'll see more advocates of Southern unity.

We are watching.

Time wasters looking for allies in wrong place.. they should face North

No southern human go betray their people for Yoruba people .. not even the north..

Say fowl Na your pet no mean say yo no go eat am.
Throws who know this language no.

Asgard73:


Nothing like southerners bro..

Na south east west.. no common front and language ..

but north na common front?

When will the break up not happen? This patch patch will n3v3r work.

Power

Buhari

Nigeria will break up soon because nobody in the SS and SE want to be part of a fulanized Islamic Caliphate. Mark my words.

NaijirianKing:
Buhari already told them that "you can't sit in Lagos and dictate what happens in Abuja", we all know who he was talking to. But these people really think they can dictate to the North what happens in this country. Rather than trying to sell a candidate to the North, they had the effrontery to demand "southern presidency" which really just means they will package one SW elder statesman... Imagine these people.

After voting out the SS President and trying to move ahead of the SE to have both the Presidency and VP they without shame say this is their alliance. The North is quietly watching.

There is a reason that these people played opposition for so many years. But we will see them at the polls, even if they get the ticket in APC, APC is just a party, our thumbprints don't have parties.

We are looking to give the NC a chance at President and we are making a peace deal with the SE to bring them to the center. Anyone against this isn't alive to the realities on ground. But, let them go back to opposition in 2023.

Southwest go wake 2023 from their hallucinations

They scared becos they supported buhari wen he was turning d whole country upside down. unfortunately,d north trying to hold onto power beyond 2023 will truly accelerate d division of Nigeria for sure.Without d south holding onto power d north loses d only tjing holding Nigeria together.I keep asking myself,why is it dat d north will do anything to make sure Nigeria doesnt united?Answer is d unioun is a parisitic one that benefits only d north Every other part of naija is at a disadvantage. The north cannot survive as a country as it clearly cant bring anything meaningful to d table due to its high rate of illiteracy.This 2023 will be very dangerous as it will decide if nigeria remains one entity