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Hundreds of northern youths, representing civil society groups and women, have opposed attempts by political parties to present presidential candidates of northern extraction for the 2023 general elections, insisting that the topmost position should be zoned to the south.
The coalition of Arewa groups, acting under the Concerned Arewa Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (CACSON) umbrella, issued the warning, yesterday, at a press conference in Kaduna.
Former Secretary-General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, observed that critical stakeholders, including Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had also backed the southern presidency.
Addressing reporters yesterday, CACSON’s spokesman, Comrade Abdulsalmi Mohammed Kazeem, stated: “We converge here today (yesterday) at Arewa House to write another history of Nigeria where patriotic northern youths are calling for southern candidates in the coming 2023 presidential election. This is to sustain our political friendship with the people of southern Nigeria.”
According to him, “equity and justice are the backbones of development in any sane society.”
He continued: “Since the first republic, power has been rotated between South and North.
“Unfortunately, in 2007, when power was shifted to North after two years, God took the life of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory.”
This has created a vacuum and resulted in so much agitation by northern stakeholders that the North must complete its eight-year term as President as Obasanjo did.
“Since the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is supreme and has a way of succession, Jonathan as the Vice President was constitutionally sworn in as President.”
In the heat of the 2011 elections, many northern stakeholders agitated that power must return to the North, but for national unity and Jonathan being a minority from the oil-rich Niger-Delta region that had not produced President of the country, our stakeholders in the North were advised to allow him to run for another four years to execute the late Yar’Adua’s projects.”
Kazeem added: Under the present circumstances, we have to respect our integration, brotherhood and unity.”
