Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has faulted the call for a rotational presidency by the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), saying that Nigerians should discard the gentleman arrangement.
Bello also said the demand for zoning of the presidency is unconstitutional.
Recall that the 17 Southern governors, during a meeting which held in Ikeja, Lagos had demanded for a rotational presidency while calling for a Southern President in 2023.
However, reacting to the resolution of Southern Governors, Bello stated that Nigeria deserves a leader that can bring development to the country not based on rotation or tribe.
Bello, who has been rumoured to be interested in the 2023 presidency stated even if the issue of zoning was being considered, the North-Central region had been marginalised in the scheme of things.
The Governor stated this while speaking during the first annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents in Abuja, on Friday.
The governor said what Nigeria needs today is the best brain to captain it, noting that community policing is better than state police.
In his words, “The country is like a ship that deserves the best captain to direct it at this period. There had been zoning of the presidency during the 16 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). What have been our achievements?
“I have always asked this question, there has been (power) rotation so to speak from the PDP almost all this while, and what has been our result between then and now? If zoning will solve our problem as at the time, President Olusegun Obasanjo was the president two times, all the problems of the South should have been solved.
“As of the time President Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory came on board, the whole problems of the North should have been solved. Or when it returned back to the South-South, the problem of the Riverine, Niger Delta or of the whole of the South should have been solved.
“Now we have President Muhammadu Buhari and it is expected that the problem of the North should have been solved. I am not saying these various leaders have not tried their best.
“They have tried their best within the circumstances they found themselves in the office or the situation of things at those times and what Mr President is doing today. For crying out loud, he is at his best practice.
“When we are talking of democracy, it is about free choice. And it is about the number. Let the majority be allowed the free will to choose who they want. Let political parties not limit Nigerians to who they want to elect into offices.
“When you look at it, I think it is unconstitutional. Not in our own constitution — APC — and it is not there in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. We cannot be picking and choosing when it suits us.”
