The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has rejected the position of the Southern governors that the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the Southern part of the country, arguing that the presidency is a democratic office and not a rotational position.

In its response yesterday to Monday’s ‘Lagos Declaration’, the Forum maintained that the North would not be threatened, intimidated or blackmailed into giving up its right to a democratic office, as the region should not be compelled to give up a democratically elected office that can be sought by any person irrespective of where he comes from.

The Forum’s position was made in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. NEF observed that as far as the North was concerned, the idea that it would be threatened, intimidated or blackmailed into yielding an office that ought to be settled democratically is not acceptable.

“Thus, NEF sees the decision of the Southern governors as an expression of sentiment that could be best discussed within a political process. We are running a democratic government and decisions over where the next president comes from are basically decisions that will be made by voters exercising their rights to choose which candidate best serves their interest.”

The Forum explained that the Southern governors come from the two dominant parties: All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Baba-Ahmed noted that the way it should be done was that the southern governors should influence their parties to zone the presidency to Southern states and then work to convince Nigerian voters from all parts of the country to vote for that candidate.

He said that the democratic rights of Nigerian citizens to vote for a candidate cannot be snatched by threats or intimidation, stressing that politicians were becoming very lazy to think they will be given leadership in a manner that suggests an ultimatum.

In like manner, former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani, has faulted calls by the Southern governors that the next president in 2023 should hail from the Southern part of the country. Speaking to reporters in Abuja, he argued that the stance was not only unconstitutional but antithetical to the tenets of democracy.

Sani, who is angling for the 2023 presidency, insists that eligible Nigerians irrespective of their religious and tribal leanings have the right to aspire for the exalted seat.

“There is nothing in our constitution that talks about moving power from one place to another. Every Nigerian, according to the Constitution, unless it is amended, has the right to aspire to any political office once he is qualified. So, it is not wrong for anybody to say he is contesting the election, even from Daura,” he said.

Another Northern chieftain and former Secretary General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Elder Anthony Sani, said the outright ban on open grazing without provision of alternative measures to the plight of herders will spell doom for the country.

“To me, such a fiat approach can be likened to outright banning of subsistence farming using hoes and cutlasses without any viable alternative for modern farming. Any law that is not implementable is as good as of no effect and no use to the society,” he said.

On the issue of resource control, he argued that “given the 13 per cent derivation to ameliorate environmental degradation of the oil-producing host communities, any other provision, be it five or three per cent for oil-producing host communities amounts to double provisions. It is, therefore, our view that rather than making another provision for host communities, efforts should be made to manage the 13 per cent for the benefit of host communities whose environment have been degraded.”

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) also disagreed with governors of the 17 Southern states over power shift. CNG noted the gang up against the North, in particular, to force a regional shift of the Presidency in 2023 by whatever means and tactics, is undemocratic. This was contained in a statement issued by the group’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, yesterday, in Abuja.

Suleiman said: “The North will continue to play a significant role in the affairs of the nation, it will however not allow its people and what God has blessed us with, human population, to be taken for granted.

“We categorically affirm that the North will not be stampeded or blackmailed into taking major decisions around rotating the Presidency and shall insist that only a candidate who is competent and able to unite and secure Nigeria should be President in 2023, irrespective of where he or she comes from.
We warn the Southern Governors and their Northern collaborators that any attempt to ride on the back of such gratuitous insults to democratic fair play and crass political opportunism, to hoist incompetent leadership on the nation in the name of rotation would not be accepted and shall be vehemently resisted.

“We specifically warn Kashim Shettima, Nasir el-Rufai and other northern collaborators, of the futility of pursuing their personal exploits for the vice presidency through this impossible battle to hand over our future and the entire North to interests that see a united and numerically superior North as a major political obstacle.”

HOWEVER, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has described as bold and patriotic the decision of the Southern Governors’ Forum to enact laws to ban open grazing of livestock in the region, noting that it will bring to an end the lingering crisis caused by armed herdsmen.

Ortom also lauded his counterparts in Southern Nigeria for backing their May 11 Asaba Declaration against open grazing with the resolve to legally prohibit nomadic cattle rearing, a resolution that conforms with the global best practice of animal husbandry.
The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, further commended his colleagues for their position on the rotation of the Presidency between the North and South. Ortom believes that only equity, fairness and justice can strengthen the unity of Nigeria, give all citizens a sense of belonging and reduce tensions across the divide.

Source: https://t.guardian.ng/news/northern-elders-groups-reject-southern-governors-position-on-power-shift/

Good morning Southerners oh.
But how do some people think/believe that after what the North/Fulani has done under Buhari's tenure that they will agree to give power to the South so that they will do them their own back?

At this point, only God can help us in this country.

God bless Nigeria.

Stupid people

Power must remain in the north, Fulani precisely,
Sai baba 4 + 4 = 2026, haters drink sniper

We specifically warn Kashim Shettima, Nasir el-Rufai and other northern collaborators, of the futility of pursuing their personal exploits for the vice presidency through this impossible battle to hand over our future and the entire North to interests that see a united and numerically superior North as a major political obstacle.”

Stupidity from another fulani terrorist.










Yoruba nation is here to stay.

Ghen ghen!!! The chicken is coming home to roast.My fingers are crossed already, watching from Hamburg Germany.

It is now clear that the North has very hidden plan against Nigeria and the south.

They are talking of their population that is even causing problem to the nation.

LET THE SOUTH FRONT ONE CANDIDATE PLEASE OOOO. AT THIS POINT I DONT CARE AGAIN. TINUBU, AMAECHI, UMAHI anyone abeg

ironically they can't even eradicate the bandits and herdmen terrorizing the northern states
. abeg make them getat

When this same zoning arrangement reached the North's turn, nobody complained, it wasn't "unconstitutional and against the tenets of democracy " now that it's time to respect the due process, they wanna scatter the arrangement lool. Typical snakes nd traitors. The writing on the wall couldn't be any clearer. These guys intend to hold on to power beyond 2023. Indeed interesting times ahead

The Train has left the station, these Fulani elders calling themselves 'Northern Elders' are late to the party. Governor Zulum on Channels TV interview this morning said the North East Governors at their meeting yesterday agreed that power should go to the South in 2023, he said that was the position agreed by APC in 2014.
Middle Belt have also agreed that power should move to the South. So who does NEF represent apart from Fulanis of the North West?

In another news,

IgweOfNnewi:
It is quite unfortunate that one of the rescuers lost his life and paid a price a price he shouldn't have pay for if not for the senile vegetative doppelganger figurehead braindead we have as president

I heard that the people of the State are already contributing money as Appreciation to the great Hero that rather staked his life instead of watching his wife and children captured like animals and sodomized with him living as an eternally enslaved coward as some senseless nairalanders, that have refused to go offline to physically Join the Battle which has fully began on our ancestral Father Land. In addition to the ongoing State donations to his Family, GoFundMe Account should be open in his Name immediately. The millions of money his Family would get would encourage more Yoruba Youths with undefeatable mindset to enlist into the unofficial Yoruba Liberation Military Force that is currently defending the Land.

Good..

Lets all go our separate ways then

In a normal clime, there should be nothing like rotational presidency. However, the situation in Nigeria is peculiar. For the sake of equity, the presidency should come to the South.

Let the game begin

A United South will always be a big threat to the North.
Quota system & Nepotism should also be abolished since we are practicing Democracy.
The North's ulterior motives are becoming clearer by the day.

I said it, these retrogressive mofos won't discuss what their major problems are, another man's solution to his problem is their problem.... Is that not madness at its peak.


The Southern governors should maintain their stand and make sure they don't move grounds, follow up their resolution and have them implemented with no counter reply to these barking bingos, more action less talk cos they have been talking all these while until today and nothing happened, nobody took them seriously until now. The fact that the northern bullies replied them, that shows they are being taken seriously unlike before

Let's hope the northerners won't make use of the Emekas and Tinubus among them to sabotage their effort. This is the first time the southern governors are putting their interest aside and making their people and themselves proud.


The meetings the northerners had both in secret and in public which the Southerner gvt saw but kept mute until now is what we are suffering alongside with them and if care is not taken when north turns Somalia it won't take long for the south to catch up with them.

Then divide the country, No be by force.

.

voice of northern PDP caucus. this group especially the principal officials re pdp lackeys.. PDP have made up their mind to zone to north.
Majority of pdp governors re in southern Nigeria and were present in the communique.
This means they have power to thwart atiku ,kwankaso,tambuwal's dream.

Meanwili... I hope the southern governors are not rooting for Tinubu in this thing... Kolewerk.

The battle for the soul of the country has started, greedy northerners have let the cat out of the bag early, from all the ranting it is clear they want to retain power forever. This will speed up the break up of Nigeria.

---

I no gree, I no gree na im dey tear cloth

LMAO ...north never saw this coming really ....all their plans is in shambles


Nigeria as we know it is completely over

So it is now they know the presidency is a democratic position? When it suits them they cry democracy but forget that democracy is meant to be for the benefit of the people. You can’t be shouting democracy up and down and yet there is gross abuse of human rights, no freedom of speech, I even heard they are trying to make protesting a 5 year jailable offense! The same democracy they are crying now is what they are still trying to undermine by disabling digital electoral collation so that they can continue rigging elections by bringing millions of almajiris from chad and Niger to thumb print and plunge us into 4 more hopeless years
See eh no be only north Sabi craze o we sef reject their rejection.

Power is definitely coming back to the South where it should be, whether the bandits like it or not.

I'm very cool with any region of the South who is ready to restructure. After eight years we can allow the right thinking members of the North to have sway.

Born parasites

If you reject power shift; you can't reject division of the country. The choice is yours.


Buhari a good man with evil Intensions

Hear them: presidency is a democratic office and not a rotational position. This country is bound to collapse totally. These are the fools that propagated that presidency should return to the North in 2014. Now they have what they want, the story changes. These people think South are cowards, we will spell the language they understand for them very soon. The saboteurs like Femi Adesina, Lai Muhammad, Chris Ngige and that supreme court governor will find the heat to hot to bear. We are watching with keen interest

House of drama!

"One Nigeria" is not by force, it is written no where in the Bible.

The process of producing the next president should be settled democratically and based on the structure of each political party. I am a northerner and I like Tinubu to be the next president, but not on the basis of sentiment against the North