2023: Why Zoning Is Not So Important – Saraki

– Says Nigeria Needs Visionary, Courageous Leaders

As the 2023 general elections approach, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has stated that Nigerians need to shift focus from zoning to electing competent leaders capable of turning the fortunes of the country around.

The former senate president who said this on Sunday while appearing on Channels TV Politics today, noted that the current challenges bedevilling the nation need competent hands to address them irrespective of where they come from.

Saraki, who is nursing a presidential ambition, said Nigeria is inching towards a failed state and needs leaders with vision, knowledge, and courage.

He said “people talk a lot about zoning, I’m not saying that zoning is not a criteria that must be considered when you talk about where power comes from, what I’m saying is that in 2023 zoning and other issues must be considered,

“In 1999 when the issue of zoning came in, there were political imbalances, particularly coming out of June 12, 1993, that needed to be addressed.

“While some of those imbalances still exist, today as a nation [with] the challenges that we have, we are at a defining moment in our history, where aside from where you come from, what also really matters is how to prevent our country from becoming a failed state.

The former senate president stressed that “as we address the issue of where you come from, we must also put that energy and who and what kind of leadership do we need now, when you talk about reforming a country, you need leadership that has vision, you need leadership that has the knowledge and more importantly you need leadership that has courage, which is as important as some of the issues of zoning.”

On his presidential ambition, Saraki described himself as someone who can reach across political, ethnic and religious divides to unite the country.

He added that he is rebuilding his political structure in Kwara State with the inclusion of more women and youths.

“We have learnt from our mistakes in the past, we have rebuilt, if you look at our party structure now at the ward level, we have brought a lot of youth inclusion, we have a lot of women representatives now, so definitely our party is stronger.”