2023 : Campaign For Democracy Supports Power Shift To South To Keep Nigeria One

A civil society organisation, the Campaign for Democracy, has thrown its weight behind the Southern Governors’ Forum on its clamour that the South should produce the successor of the incumbent President Muhammaadu Buhari in 2003.

The group said this at a press conference in Ibadan on Sunday.

The General Secretary of the CD, Ifeanyi Odili, in the address read at the briefing supported Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who recently said that any political party that field a presidential candidate from the North in 2023 poll would fail.

The group however tasked the Southern Governor’s Forum and other groups and individuals in the South to ensure that a qualified and competent presidential candidate is nominated.

Odili said continued dominance of the country by a particular group was not good and could destabilise a country as delicately balanced as Nigeria.

He said, “We align with the southern governors that those opposing power rotation were tinkering with the corporate existence of the country. And that only a party that is determined to lose will field a northern candidate

“If we must remain as one indivisible nation, their is the need for power to leave the North to the South. Failing which crisis that may likely consume the nation in no distance time is inevitable.

“Though, rotational presidency may not be constitutional, but it is a political arrangement that is healthy and expedient for our corporate existence. Any political party that does not consider power shift as a major political weapon of unity and oneness must be a group of war mongers and party with divisive tendencies.

“The CD commends the southern governors for their boldness to stand up to be counted at this period of our national crisis. CD will galvernize all within its power to support the southern governors in their quest to shift power from north to south.

“The serious agitation for self determination by the South-East and South-West occasioning the arrests, prosecutions and detentions of two major self determination agitators is a direct consequential effect of one section of the country holding the presidency perpetually since independence.”‘

“The CD also warns the southern governors, that much as we support power shift, they must produce a sellable candidate with the following qualities: Effective communication skills

” Other qulaities :The courage to make unpopular decisions, crisis management skills, character and integrity, wise appointments, an ability to work with all the six geo- political zones without bias, critical thinking and strategic, open-mindedness, creativity, responsibility and dependability and must be reasonably flexible. Otherwise, we will go for merit irrespective of tribe or gender.”