2023: Accept power rotation between north, south, ACF counsels Nigerians 

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has counseled Nigerians on the need to accept the principle of power rotation between the north and the south.

The ACF Secretary General, Murtala Aliyu, in a statement issued in Kaduna, said it is the only way in ensuring that Nigeria citizens choose whatever he or she believes to be in the best interests of themselves and their followers.

He recalled, “When 17 State Governors from Southern part of Nigeria, and from different political parties met last year and demanded that a southerner must be elected as the president of Nigeria, the heavens did not fall. It was accepted that as we are in a democracy, they were entitled to their views and opinions.

“Quite recently also, some 14 northern Governors belonging to the ruling All progressives Congress Party, (APC), came out with the announcement that they had committed themselves to ensuring that a candidate of their party from the southern part of the country is elected president of the country. Their reason was that the emergence and subsequent election of a person from the southern part of the country will serve to entrench the principle of North/South power rotation in Nigeria.

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“Though the principle of power rotation is still largely and somewhat controversial, nonetheless, under our democratic dispensation we must reconcile ourselves to accepting that Nigeria is a country for all its citizens, and each citizen has right to choose whatever he or she believes to be in the best interests of themselves and their followers. At the same time, however, they also have to accept the principle of power rotation between north and south.”

While praying for a peaceful outcome of the elections, he hoped it will help take the country closer to its main development goals of building a free, just, democratic, and egalitarian society saying, “Clearly, the necessary requirement for achieving success in the elections is the determination of Nigerians to ensure it actually succeeds.”

He called on the federal government to commit itself to delivering what should turn out to be a fair, transparent, credible and hitch-free election the outcomes of which must be decided only by the votes cast.

“Voters will do great disservice to themselves if they were to vote into offices persons they know, or should know, have no capacity to perform well, or are persons with questionable character. Voters are also always advised to shun those unhealthy schemes whereby a president or state governor handpicks a successor. Nothing promotes entrenched corruption, cronyism and poor leadership more than such schemes as such dubious arrangements.

“The nation will never be able to identify and select good leaders among its people so long as some dubious people are allowed to manipulate the selection of candidates and the ultimate election processes, we must cast our nets far beyond our ethnic, religious or geographical interests. A leader does not have to come from our tribe, zone, region or religious persuasion. We should seek for leaders that best cater for our national interests, and who are elected within the tenets of democratic processes. The tenants that allow people to choose leaders who will best cater for interests of the generality of the people, NOT their individual personal or the interests of their ethnic or religious groups.”