Ex-Ambassador wants power shift to south in 2023

The immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Justice Isa Muhammad Dodo, has said that power should shift to the south for the 2023 General Elections, and afterwards be cancelled.

Ambassador Dodo who said this weekend in Abuja in a chat with newsmen, also opposed negotiations with bandits, kidnappers and other criminals terrorising the country, saying doing such give the elements upper hands to further their criminal activities.

• I’m not a negotiator for bandits, says Gumi
  Anti-party: PDP suspends ex-Niger Gov Babangida Aliyu

“Power shift is not democratic but because of the prevailing circumstance, the people who worked very hard for the inception of this administration should be considered and let the power shift to south for a while, but after that, let is die.

“In 2023 we must elect leaders who believes in the unity of the country not someone with ethnic bias. Whatever we want to and who we will want to elect let us elect someone who believes in the unity of the country not someone with ethnic bias, one that would ensure the people of this country live together without problems,” Dodo said.

While saying that the insecurity challenge in the country required political solution, he urged governors and the local government to work together.

“Nobody should negotiate with bandits. It gives the bandits more oxygen and negotiating with bandits should be ignored. The Federal Government should negotiate with world powers to purchase arms and not giving money to head of security agencies. These will ensure that the right arms are bought and this will also aver corruption.

“The Presidency should regularly meet with heads of all security agencies in the country to make their demands and give a list of the arms needed for the armoury for upward delivery to security agencies in the frontline fighting insecurity,” Justice Dodo said.

Dodo also said that the number of security personnel in the country is not adequate to tackle terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in the country.

He said, “There should be concerted efforts to increase personnel in security agencies to surpass insecurity. The northeast crisis has affected millions of people while the northwest is also ravaged by insecurity.

“The new security chiefs should check their Armory and discuss with the national security adviser (NSA), Defence Minister who will then convey their demands to the president.”