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Tag: Zoning arrangement

  • Some Southerners are betraying the South- Senator Shettima

    Former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima has revealed that some persons in the southern part of the country are working against power rotation  and zoning.

    Shettima described them as political Judas Iscariot, saying they are working against their own region.

    There has been an unwritten agreement that states that power must rotate among the geo-political zones in the country and the South are laying claims to that to advocate for zoning ahead 2023 election

    However, with the emergence of Vice President Atiku as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have also suggested that giving the APC ticket to a northerner was the only way to defeat the PDP in 2023.

    Shettima, while on a visit with a presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, to Ogun State, expressed concern that some Judas Iscariots from the South were “hellbent on becoming spoilers” to scuttle the chances of the South to produce the next president.

    Addressing the power rotation issues, Shettima posited  that the enemy of Southern Nigeria is often not the Northern Nigeria but men and women of its own stock, the Judas Iscariot of the Southern race who are ever ready to play the second fiddle.

    The Senator said some presidential aspirants from Ogun could not garner more than 10 votes at the APC presidential primary election, stating that such aspirants would end up becoming spoilers.

     

    According to him “The enemy of Southern Nigeria is often not the Northern Nigeria, but men and women of its own stock, the Judas Iscariot of the Southern race who are ever ready to play the second fiddle.

    “We are living in very interesting times and for those of us in the Asiwaju team, we are moved by the forest of ideas and the realization that what this country needs is a unifying leader who has neither ethnic nor religious agenda and who is not bound by toxic regional solidarity and yet known for exemplary qualitative leadership and if you look around, the contenders and the pretenders for the Presidency of this country, there is no one that the cap fits better than the gentleman seated here.

    “In our current dispensation, the dynamics have changed, there is no politician in the APC with the brand name, first name recognition, the track record, the passion for excellence that can stand toe-to-toe and even overshadow Atiku Abubakar better than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “He was viciously witch-hunted, harassed and intimidated by the PDP controlled Federal government and that was the time he laid the foundation for modern Lagos.

    “So I call on you in the spirit of oneness and for the collective interest of the Southwest who supported us when we needed him, that support intervenes on your sons who are hell-bent on becoming spoilers. It is better and more honourable.

    “Ogun, you are presenting four presidential candidates and you and I know that some cannot get more than ten votes, but they are going to be spoilers, but I can assure you that on his (Tinubu’s) mandate we are going to stand.”

  • Igbo Presidency: Prominent Igbo politicians in APC,PDP meet

    Igbo Presidency: Prominent Igbo politicians in APC,PDP meet

    Ebonyi State governor , David Umahi and some other prominent Igbo presidential aspirants are currently meeting in Abuja.

    Umahi who doubles as chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum has been booked to chair the meeting which is centered around zoning ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

    The meeting which was organized by Greater Nigeria Conference, GNC, is taking place at the Executive Hall, International Conference Center, Abuja.

    The special assistant to Dave Umahi Francis Nwaze, had hinted that the meeting is centered on zoning the presidency to the south-East by both All Progressives Congress (APC )and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

    According to the media aide, “it is expected that all the presidential aspirants from the zone will be unveiled with Video Documentaries and responses.

    The video would be anchored by Prof. Chinedu Nebo, CON, and Dr. Uju Agomoh after which Dr. Joe Abah and Ferdinand Agu will present the Great Nigeria Communique.

    Some of the presidential aspirants across parties in attendance include Dave Umahi, Chris Ngige, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, Sen. Rochas Okorocha, Caroline Nwosu, Sam Ohuabunwa.

    Other dignitaries in attendance include Chief Achike Udenwe, Prof ABC Nwosu, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Sen. Ben Obi, Chief Okwesiri Eze Nwodo, and Senator Victor Umeh, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, among others.

  • Fayose declares for presidency, insist PDP must zone to the South

    Fayose declares for presidency, insist PDP must zone to the South

    Ex-governor of Ekiti state Ayodele Fayose has declared his presidential ambition under the flagship of People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Fayose gave this hint on a live tv programme in Lagos.

    Iroko as he’s fondly called has admonished the PDP to rethink and zone the presidential ticket to the South.

    “I don’t believe in not zoning this presidential ticket. I was a member of the zoning committee except for the last day that I picked up my form.

    “All they said was ‘because the party ought to have started the process a long time, for reasons on the fact that some people have bought forms, maybe the party can find a way to work around consensus’. They never made that statement (on throwing the presidential ticket open).

    Fayose also said he will only accept the consensus option if he gets the nomination.

    He said: “I saw the people going around for consensus. Who will step down for who? You asked me to step down? I won’t step down.

    “They said they want all of us to come and do consensus. I don’t know about them. I have taken my form today. I am not going to step down.

    “Who knows if it is me that Nigerians want to vote for? Do you know the mind of Nigerians? Do you know who they want? Any meeting or anywhere they talk about consensus, as good as that language looks, it is undemocratic.”

  • Target general elections and not zoning, Tambuwal urges PDP

    Target general elections and not zoning, Tambuwal urges PDP

    Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has admonished his party, Peoples Democratic party to disregard zoning arrangement but instead strive to win the 2023 general elections.

    In a meeting with state Assemblies and House of Representative members in Abuja on Tuesday, Tambuwal recounted how they made Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan acting president despite zoning at the time.

    The PDP stalwart asserted that Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian tickets shouldn’t be considered at all, saying it’s dead on arrival.

    In his words “When it was time for the House of Representatives to go along with the Senate on the issue of the doctrine of necessity that made Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan President, my brother and friend, Dimeji Bankole was not willing to do so. My brother and friend, Senator Dickson Seriake who was leading the squad for ex-President Jonathan to be made acting president was doing it the wrong way.

    (TNG Analysis) 2023: Tambuwal re-positions PDP to thrash APC

    “There was tension and almost chaos in the house of representatives. And we called Dickson. I sat him down. I said Dickson, if you go through that route, of raising sentiments, this thing will not fly. Let’s look at it objectively, speak about Nigeria and how to save our country. If you agree, take the backseat. I am the principal officer from the northwest zone of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. We’re very aware of the situation of the country. So let me drive it and let me see who that person is that will have more affinity and affiliation to President Yar’Adua than myself the principal officer from the zone, he stated.

    Tambuwal revealed how he came up with the motion that started the process of installing Goodluck as acting president then adding that the then speak of the Green chamber Dimeji Bankole was highly emotional then.

    “I said look Mr. speaker, it’s about this country and we must do the right thing. I brought out the motion. I said this is the motion. I drafted it. So please, allow this to go. And that was how the motion for the doctrine of necessity was passed in the House”.

    On what stands him out from other Presidential aspirants, Tambuwal said “from the array of those that are running now. I don’t know of tomorrow. All the names being mentioned that are at the forefront of this consideration for 2023, I am the youngest of them all. Go and check our biodata, check the genuine one.

    Chairman PDP Governors Forum appealed to PDP to study previous election results as they progress towards 2023.

    ” As leaders of our party, who are working towards winning election, not zoning, not winning tickets. Yes, we can share tickets and everybody can take his piece and go to his zone. But you must plan to win an election. That’s the reality of it. It’s not anybody’s making, he stated.

    Tambuwal who urged PDP to accept the reality on the demand for the party’s zoning formula said “after we win, we can then say okay, let’s share power. Win election first. Don’t win zoning, win the election and then we’ll come and share power. Because the President and the Vice President cannot come from the same zone. They cannot even come from the same religion”.

    He insisted that demographics, intra-party wrangling was rife in the All Progressives Congress (APC), voter education and others will determine the 2023 general election.

    He said, ” so demography is an issue, that is why after the election I appealed to PDP to study the outcome of previous role elections as we proceed to 2023″.