A former Senator who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani warns against a crisis that might erupt ahead of 2023 if other regions in the country are not allowed a shot at the Presidency.
In an interview with TheNation, Sani said it was only fair for power rotation.
He stated that power rotation gives every section of the country a sense of belonging, warning that seizing power to one region may result in a crisis.
“The concept of rotation of power is simply to give every section of the country the opportunity and ability to feel that yes, we are equal stakeholders in the enterprise called Nigeria,” he said.
“If one part of the country now continues to dominate the political sphere, they can take the mantle of leadership, but they will not be able to have the peace to preside over the affairs of the country forever.
“But my position on this is that President Muhammadu Buhari came to power with the support of the south. It would be logical enough that we understand the diversities of Nigeria, and the need to always balance our own personal interests and agenda with the need to sustain the unity, peace, and orderliness of the country.
“A lot of meetings are going on in the north today, and I can tell you that they are gaining traction. And part of the reasons for some of them who told me was that they believe that this government has served more people in the south than it has served people in the north,” he said.
“So that is the argument which many of them have given and you see sometimes words have life, if a prominent northerner who is well respected now averred that we are not going to respect the principle of rotation of power and the north will continue to have it forever, if you do not have a strong counter-argument on that, it will settle in the minds of the people.
“What stops the leaders from the north moving to Chief E K Clark house in Abuja or down there in the south-south to discuss with him.
These are issues that I believe we should resolve. But we should understand that if one part of the country is not prepared to rotate power to another part of the country, we are simply setting a road map to chaos and crisis in Nigeria.
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He advised that traditional rulers, politicians and religious leaders should have a meeting, emphasising that government should not be left alone in the hands of politicians to decide.
Sani, however, said if the leaders in the south don’t unit ahead of 2023, there is a possibility that they may not assume power.
