Rotational Presidency Unconstitutional — Gov Bello

Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello has faulted agitations by Southern
Governors for zoning of 2023 presidency to the region.

He dismissed the call as “unconstitutional”.

The Governor said what the country needs is “a President of
Nigeria and not of any zone.”

Bello spoke at the opening session of a two-day workshop for
some selected crime and political reporters in Abuja.

The Governor maintained that rotational presidency is alien to
Constitution and political parties in the country.

According to him: “The Nigeria of today deserves the best.
Nigeria is a ship or a flight that requires the best captain to
steer or lead the affairs of the nation to a desire
destination.

“I will suggest that we should allow the best candidate to
emerge who will unify this country? Who will solve the problems
that we are facing today?

*Who will build on the legacy that Mr. President leave behind?
That is my position on the issue of rotational presidency.

“If zoning will solve our problem as at the time President
Olusegun Obasanjo was the President two times, all the problems of
the South should have been solved.

“As at the time President Musa Yar’dua of blessed memory came on
board, the whole problems of the North should have been solved. Or
when it returned back to the South-south, the problems of Niger
Delta should have gone.”

He added: “When we are talking of democracy, it is about free
choice. And it is about the number.

“Let the majority be allowed the free will to choose who they
want. Let political parties not limit Nigerians to who they want to
elect into offices.

“When you look at it, I think it is unconstitutional. Not in our
own constitution APC and it is not there in the constitution of the
Federal republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.

“We cannot be picking and choosing when it suits us. If we
should continue on this sentiment of rotation of presidency to this
region or to that region, I said let us do it perfectly. In the
interest of fairness, equity and justice, if that is the angle you
want to come from, fine.

“Let us go on the table and look at it. And we should not just
look at it from 1999 but let us go back to 1960.

“From the independence that we Nigerians have been leading
ourselves, let extrapolate all the various leaders we have heard at
the national level you will discover that all the geopolitical
zones as it exist today, have at one time or the other occupied the
position of the presidency, either as President or vice president.
The North-central has been shortchanged.”

Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello has faulted agitations by Southern
Governors for zoning of 2023 presidency to the region.

He dismissed the call as “unconstitutional”.

The Governor said what the country needs is “a President of
Nigeria and not of any zone.”

Bello spoke at the opening session of a two-day workshop for
some selected crime and political reporters in Abuja.

The Governor maintained that rotational presidency is alien to
Constitution and political parties in the country.

According to him: “The Nigeria of today deserves the best.
Nigeria is a ship or a flight that requires the best captain to
steer or lead the affairs of the nation to a desire
destination.

“I will suggest that we should allow the best candidate to
emerge who will unify this country? Who will solve the problems
that we are facing today?

*Who will build on the legacy that Mr. President leave behind?
That is my position on the issue of rotational presidency.

“If zoning will solve our problem as at the time President
Olusegun Obasanjo was the President two times, all the problems of
the South should have been solved.

“As at the time President Musa Yar’dua of blessed memory came on
board, the whole problems of the North should have been solved. Or
when it returned back to the South-south, the problems of Niger
Delta should have gone.”

He added: “When we are talking of democracy, it is about free
choice. And it is about the number.

“Let the majority be allowed the free will to choose who they
want. Let political parties not limit Nigerians to who they want to
elect into offices.

“When you look at it, I think it is unconstitutional. Not in our
own constitution APC and it is not there in the constitution of the
Federal republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.

“We cannot be picking and choosing when it suits us. If we
should continue on this sentiment of rotation of presidency to this
region or to that region, I said let us do it perfectly. In the
interest of fairness, equity and justice, if that is the angle you
want to come from, fine.

“Let us go on the table and look at it. And we should not just
look at it from 1999 but let us go back to 1960.

“From the independence that we Nigerians have been leading
ourselves, let extrapolate all the various leaders we have heard at
the national level you will discover that all the geopolitical
zones as it exist today, have at one time or the other occupied the
position of the presidency, either as President or vice president.
The North-central has been shortchanged.”