2023: NORTHERN COALITION, SOCIETY GROUPS DEMAND FOR SOUTHERN PRESIDENT

"Our hope, dreams and prayers are for an Igbo man to emerge as President 2023."Arewa Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria.

"Any Northerner contesting the Office  President will be regarded as an agent of disunity and enemy of the nation."

"Though it is not law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have to respect our integration, brotherhood and unity.

"It is for the sake of our national unity that we are standing today and declare that power should be rotated to South for the spirit of oneness, equity, justice, fairness and equal opportunities.

Over 45 reputable Civil Society groups from within the Northern extraction with voting capacity cut across all the polling units, wards and Local Government Areas in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, are demanding for a President of Southern extraction, come 2023.

The groups, under the aegis of Concerned Arewa Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, at a World Press Conference held in Arewa House in Kaduna on Wednesday, 23rd March, stressed that the purpose of their gathering, was to write another history of Nigeria where patriotic Northern Youths are calling for Southern candidate.

This, according to a statement issued and signed by its Spokesman, Comrade Abdulsalam Moh'd Kazeem, is to sustain our political friendship with people of the Southern Nigeria. 

"Equity and justice are the bane of development in any sane society. Since the first republic power is being rotated between South and North." The statement read. 

The statement noted that, "unfortunately in 2007 when power shifted to the North, and just two years after in Office, God took the life of President Umaru Musa Yar'adua of blessed memory; creating a vaccum and resulted to so much agitations by Northern stakeholders that North must complete their 8-years term as President Obasanjo did. Since the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria is supreme and has a way of succession and emergence of leadership, Jonathan as the Vice President was constitutionally sworn-in to be the President of Nigeria. 

"In the heat towards 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 of Nigeria that had never produced the President of the country, our stakeholders in the North advised to allow him to go for another four years term which will have completed the joint ticket of him and late President Yar’adua." The group said.

"In 2015, after realizing President Jonathan was not ready to relinquish power, Northern stakeholders, with the support of many progressive Southerners who believed in Unity and Fairness, Jonathan second bid was truncated, during the 2015 presidential election and Muhammadu Buhari was elected president and will complete his 8 years (second term) tenure by 2023. 

"There is wise saying; "What is good for the goose is good for the gander". It is important though it is not law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have to respect our integration, brotherhood and unity. It is for the sake of our national unity that we are standing today to declare that, power should be rotated to South for the spirit of oneness, equity, justice, fairness and equal opportunities.

The Arewa groups reminded that, Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914 with agreement that the country belongs to all, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or region. For those who are beating the drum of hatred and division, trying to cause chaos and war in our dear nation because they benefit from a disunited Nigeria, we are watching and this will be a nightmare to all of them. 

"We urge all political parties to zone their Presidential candidates to the south. Any party that refuses to do so, we are going to mobilized our teaming youth and campaign against it. 

"We the Arewa Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria, in the spirit of building our desired nation and our continued existence as an entity, also not in support of jettisoning the principles of power balance and fairness, calls for the total support of the Presidency going to the Southern part of the country. 

"We have no other country than Nigeria and we will not sit down and see our country disintegrate due to the selfish desires of some individuals that think Presidency is the birth right of a particular region. 

"Any Northerner contesting the office  President will be regarded as agent disunity and enemy of the nation.

"The South West is also a beneficiary of the benevolence of Nigerians who supported their first bid for an 8years Presidency and Vice President for another 8 years, should also be willing to relinquish the position in the spirit togetherness and nation building. 

"Our hope, dreams and prayers are for an Igbo man to emerge as President 2023, more preferrably, a private sector player, a technocrat and a de-tribalized Nigerian with rich experience in managing economy for peace, progress and prosperity. 

"We have agreed to melt their interest in one port and insist on power to be transferred to Southern Part of the Country in 2023 and we call on our Southern people to drive this opportunity and support their own and also respect power rotation after 8 years.

"We reaffirmed our previous stand that we won't support any Northerner as successor of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 for the sake of National Unity. This will help to build trust and heal the wounds calling for the dismemberment of our dear country.

"We therefore, categorically say no to any Northern candidate and should incase any Northern candidate shows interest, he/she will never get our support and we shall frustrate such selfish ambition that we believe is even dead before arrival. 

"We know power comes from God and God never allow injustice, greed and selfishness to rule our land. We will make or mar any candidate who has the unity of Nigeria at heart and vice versa." The statement conluded.