2023 polls: Forget the idea of zoning presidency to South, Gov. Yahaya Bello counsels agitators

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has counselled the south of Nigeria to forget the idea of zoning the predidency to thecreguon in 2023, saying that the principle of rotational presidency on which the south is hinging its agitation had outlived its usefulness.

Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders’ Forum chaired by Chief Edwin Clark had last week demanded zoning the presidency to the South as a precondition for participating in the 2023 polls and for the continued unity of the country.

Speaking on Thursday with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock Villa, Bello said that competence and capacity should be the criteria for deciding who should get the prized position and not ethnicity or region.

Bello drppped the strongest hint yet that he might succumb to the pressure and clamour by some Nigerians to throw his hat in the ring for the 2023 presidential election.

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Read him: “Competence and capacity should be the criteria for the 2023 polls and not  ethnicity or region.

“For once let’s get Nigeria fixed. We have practised seemingly rotational presidency since 1999 to date, let us evaluate our successes or achievements from this seeming rotational  presidency between then, and now.

“Why don’t we simply go for the best after all? We copy this democracy from America and some of the developed world; how many of these countries are practising traditional presidency?

“You see, we are where we are today not because we are practising rotational presidency. If you want to go by that rotational presidency, then do perfect zoning. Go by perfect rotation. And if you go by rotation and whichever way you come from, I don’t think you should exclude where I come from. That’s number one.

“Number two, let us get a credible, sincere, patriotic, Nigerian to fix it. If you’re flying an aircraft, you don’t ask who is the pilot? If you take the operation in a hospital, you wouldn’t ask which doctor is this; is he from your zone, your  tribe, your religion? All you want is the best pilot to fly you safely to your destination. All you want is you want the best doctor to handle you and deliver you safely from the operation.

“I think Nigeria is at that point now of seeking the best from anywhere in this country, irrespective of where he comes from.

Thereafter, you balance remaining positions to reflect equity, fairness and justice. That is my position.”

Asked how he intended to convince the southeast zonr which was clamouring to produce the next President to support him, he said: “Like I said, when the time comes, and when God gives us the grace, we’ll get there by the grace of God.”