Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno South senatorial district has backed power rotation to the Southern part of the country.
With the winding down of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023, there have been heightened demands for power to return to the Southern part of the nation but some Northern individuals who consider themselves influential are in opposition, insisting on producing the next Nigerian leader.
In the South, politicians from the three geo-political zones, including former president Goodluck Jonathan who has served once before losing to Buhari in 2015, are oiling their political machineries.
Mr Ndume who made his opinion known on Saturday at a press roundtable organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Abuja, said it will tantamount to the North doing a third term should it insists on being in power by succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari.
The lawmaker said the next presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) should come from the Southern part regardless wether West, East or South.
He also cautioned Igbos in the South-East region, saying their aspiration to produce the next Nigerian leader might be hampered because most of them are requesting for the division of the country.
“I’m against APC producing its presidential candidate from the north. The APC presidential candidate should come from the south,” Ndume said, adding, “I have said it before and will still say it again that if we have a northerner as APC presidential candidate, to me, it is tantamount to third term and it is not constitutional.
“The (APC) constitution says the president shall serve two terms and we said then that the north should serve two terms.
“If you say the north should produce the presidential candidate again, it means you are going for third term, which is not fair and I believe in fairness, justice and equality.
“Let candidate from the south — and that means, south-south, southeast and south west — clinch the ticket.
“For the south-east, let me say for example, you want to be the head of this house and you are calling for the division of the house, will it work?
“And I think the southeast needs to think about it. That is what is creating the rumour for the northerners to even say they want to be the president again. If you want to be president of Nigeria, you must believe in the unity of Nigeria. I support the candidate to come anywhere from the south,” he added.
The Borno lawmaker who also canvassed for better funding for security agencies to tackle rising insecurity, said there is nothing wrong in engaging mercenaries to combat insurgency.
“I don’t see what is wrong in asking for help when you are overwhelmed,” he said.
