- Insist Southerner Must Succeed Buhari
- Warn PDP Against Plunging Nigeria into Crisis…
Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has pooh-poohed the emergence of former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections.
The SMBLF comprises influential socio-political groups from Southeast, South-South, South West and Middlebelt (North-Central) of Nigeria.
The leaders who asked citizens and politicians in the region to reject any nomination for the office of the Vice President, described the choice of a Northern candidate by the PDP as an affront on the entire people of Southern Nigeria.
In a strongly worded joint communique released on Sunday, leaders of the forum, specifically rejected the emergence of former Vice President Atiku as the main opposition’s torchbearer, insisting that a Southerner must emerge as the next President of Nigeria.
On Saturday, Atiku, an Adamawa-born politician and serial presidential candidate who has been contesting presidential election in Nigeria since 1993, polled a total of 371 votes to clinch the PDP presidential ticket for the second time running, defeating his closest rival, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state who polled a total of 237 votes and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki who polled 70 votes, The New Diplomat had earlier reported.
The emergence of 75-year-old Atiku as PDP presidential candidate has been raising serious dust among Southern electorate and elites who had vehemently demanded that power must shift to the South of the Niger in 2023 after incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari who hails from Katsina, Northwest Nigeria, would have completed his constitutionally guaranteed two terms of eight years in office.
The Southern Middlebelt leaders however, urged presidential hopefuls in the South to shun the attitude of individualism and self-confidence, and work collectively to achieve the shared objective of producing Buhari’s successor in the forthcoming elections.
While warning the PDP hierarchy not to plunge Nigeria into political chaos ahead of the 2023 general elections with their anti-South choice, the SMBLF asked political parties to respect the “time-honoured practice of the rotation and zoning of high political offices between the North and the South by political parties as a way of strengthening national unity, peace and harmony.”
The signatories to the communique include Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw (PANDEF/South-South), Ambassador Okey Emuchay (Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide/South East), Jare Ajayi (Afenifere/South West), Dr Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt Forum), and Ken Robinson who is the acting coordinator of SMBLF.
The statement reads: “The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has described the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party as a brazing affront on the people of Southern Nigeria by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
SMBLF recalls that following the release of the guidelines for the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Elders and Leaders of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, under the aegis of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum, made unequivocal proclamations on the need for the presidency to be devolved to Southern Nigeria in 2023, in respect of the time-honoured practice of the rotation and zoning of high political offices between the North and the South by political parties as a way of strengthening national unity, peace and harmony.
SMBLF further recalls that several engagements were held with various stakeholders across the length and breadth of the country on the subject to foster understanding, mutual respect, and oneness. The 17 Southern Governors also in a declaration after their meeting in Asaba, Delta State, in May 2021, backed the rotation of the presidency to the South in 2023.
Sadly, it appears the unity and peace of Nigeria mean little or nothing to a segment of the nation’s political elite.
This was evidenced in the PDP special convention, which was held on Saturday, 28th May 2022, where certain candidates from the North were pressured, coerced, and even intimidated to step down for former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged as the flag bearer of PDP, in utter derision of the established principle of zoning and rotation of power between the north and south.
Undoubtedly, the singular motive is to perpetuate the hegemony of the North given that President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the North and of Fulani origin will be completing his full tenure of eight years by this time next year.
SMBLF, therefore, totally REJECTS the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and calls on our people of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as well as all true lovers of peace and unity NOT TO VOTE for him or any other Northerner in the 2023 Presidential election, in the interest of posterity.
SMBLF further urges all aspirants for the office of President from Southern Nigeria to shun the conceited attitude of individualism and self-confidence, and work collectively to achieve the shared objectives.
Again, SMBLF calls on all politicians of Southern extraction to refuse the position of a running mate to any Northern Presidential candidate, which will equally be viewed as subjugating their people to political slavery.
