https://dailytrust.com/how-northern-apc-governors-preserved-nigerias-unity/

By H.E Chief Stephen Lawani, OFR

The 25th February 2023 Presidential election has come and gone, with a resounding victory for our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was returned as the winner of the keenly contested presidential election.

While we bask in the euphoria of this hard-fought victory and celebrate an imminent transition from one APC led federal government to another, it is my view that the stakeholders who rose above ethnic and regional proclivities and stood for the interest of a United Nigeria; those whose patriotic actions, whose unusual cosmopolitan disposition became the saving grace for our wobbling unity are the true champions of our democracy as a nation and our unity as a complex country of diverse backgrounds.

There is no doubt that pressure mounted on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field a northern candidate. Those who pushed for a northern candidacy had argued that with Atiku emerging as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election, the APC needed a northern candidate to match him vote for vote in the northern region of the country. This argument was aggressively advanced without recourse to the fact that for the past seven years plus, the affairs of this country has been helmed by a President of northern extraction, H.E Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. It could be effectively argued that the northern candidacy agenda was devoid of the bond of patriotism as it tended towards upsetting the tinge of National cohesion the country currently enjoys. It was capable of uprooting the wobbling foundations of our unity and sparking dangerous regional rivalry with our hard-earned democracy and cherished unity at the receiving end.

We are grateful to the Northern APC governors who stood their ground, who refused to jettison the unwritten zoning agreement between the North and South in the leadership of this country. Their courage and conviction to push through even when it was rumoured at a point that Mr President had anointed a Northerner for the APC Presidential ticket, and despite having colleagues who are also aspirants in the presidential race, is a commendable act of selflessness and patriotism which deeply reflects the integrity of the northern governors, and the depth of our democratic maturity as a people. Posterity will remember their contributions fondly, they will pat themselves in the back and be proud of all those who stood firm in ensuring that power moves to the South.

It is also noteworthy to add that the insistence of these northern APC governors that power must return to the south became a magic wand for the victory of the candidate of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the presidential election. It is my considered view that if we had fielded a northerner as the candidate of the party, our party wouldn’t have garnered the massive support of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians who would have showed sympathy to any southern candidate in the race. Suffice to say that while the patriotic act of the northern APC governors strengthened our unity as a nation, it was also a potent political strategy that earned our party a deserved victory in the just concluded presidential polls.

Special recognition must be given to all others aside the APC northern governors who also played key roles in ensuring that power returns to the south. The Vice-President elect, H.E Senator Kashim Shettima is one of those who stood for, spoke for and fervently canvassed support for a power-shift to the South. History will forever remain kind to him and other compatriots whose principled stance on power shift to the south has further renewed the inspiration for a one indissoluble Nigeria.

Chief Stephen Lawani, OFR, is a former deputy governor of Benue state and the Benue state Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Independent Campaign Council (ICC)

APC winning benue state was one of the huge upset in this election with a Muslim Muslim ticket

frank14011991:
APC winning benue state was one of the huge upset in this election with a Muslim Muslim ticket

It's really not an upset to Benue people and those that understand the socio-politicaal disposition of Benue state.

Benue state unlike otherNC/ middle belt states have negligible Muslim population hence has no inherent Muslim - Christian dichotomy prevalent in states you have competing population.

It's equally instructive to understand that every politics is local. So ultimately the locals understand their pains and gain much better.

Aufbauh:

It's really not an upset to Benue people and those that understand the socio-politicaal disposition of Benue state.

I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

frank14011991:
I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

So Ipob turned to herdsmen that killed Benue people??

Cosmetic unity that will eventually disintegrate

frank14011991:
I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

Shame on you for living your life as other people want you to

Northerners are trusted ally

Respect to them

Pascal9:
Cosmetic unity that will eventually disintegrate

Your wish

God pass all the enemies of Nigeria put together

helinues:
Northerners are trusted ally

Respect to them

Tinubu won only three states in the NE and NW ..

elrufai is the hero of this election

ESDKING:


Tinubu won only two states in the NE and NW ..

But got the required 25% in many of the states

frank14011991:
I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

Benue people didn't vote for party this time around, they vote for the candidate the can trust not minding the party he belongs.

helinues:


But got the required 25% in many of the states

I want to correct what u wrote.. They are not loyal as you said

frank14011991:
I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

You don't need to disturb yourself about them as majority of them hasn't crossed 9th mile up north before.

These are people who were banking on Northerners to shred their votes into three major presidential candidates.

We told them that the Northerners are sophisticated voters and won't waste their votes on Kwankwaso outside Kano state, which is what it is.

The more you repeat this election the less Obi's vote will drop geometrically cos alot of people has now understand that Eluu p is an Abia state party.

ESDKING:


I want to correct what u wrote.. They are not loyal as you said

You are not in any position to tell me that, without bulk votes from North, Tinubu wouldn't have won this election.

I still wonder why tinubu, atiku n kwankwaso didn't shred northern n middle belt votes to make peter obi win majority votes

ESDKING:


Tinubu won only three states in the NE and NW ..

Tinubu won Jigawa, Zamfara and Borno.

Don't celebrate yet
Tinubu is going to take Yorubas stake in Nigeria back to SW
North will be the highest looser of Tinubu presidency
Regionalism loading

Everything in Nigeria is not about Igbos. Igbos feature too much in your psyche

frank14011991:
I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

This same Nigeria that is existing by force?

Nigeria politicians are bunch of deluded fellows

frank14011991:
I know but many of those ipob online rodents make us to believe that benue people hate apc

Ipob rodents are stupid. We've always been saying it.

Ashiwaju Jagaban Presido

Brb

Thanks so much to the Northern governors and also thanks to the SW especially Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Lagos for fought so hard to reclaimed their land from ingrate invaders, much thanks to Wike and River people who believes in Nigeria unity and peace to dismantle the Marxist movement of Obi from creating Hutu and Tutsi in our country.

God bless you all.

Obi we are waiting for you in the court we will see who is that judge who will annull the election we shall see. Shey your head no correct ba? We go reformat it for you to factory setting. Your case go end like Kanu den u go know say pesin wey get power na hin be the boss.

Rutherford2019:
Don't celebrate yet
Tinubu is going to take Yorubas stake in Nigeria back to SW
North will be the highest looser of Tinubu presidency
Regionalism loading

What makes you think the north will lose out if Nigeria practice true federalism or regional government??

Justiceleague1:

Shame on you for living your life as other people want you to

You're still here.
You Obidients were destroyed in this election.

Lokojaman:
I still wonder why tinubu, atiku n kwankwaso didn't shred northern n middle belt votes to make peter obi win majority votes

they shared the votes, but the population is very much. While southeast give all of their votes to Peter obi, but their population is not much.