By Christiana Ekpa
A former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDD) against choosing a Northern candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
Okupe in a Twitter thread on Thursday said if a Northern president emerges as President after Buhari’s tenure, then it is possible for the north to rule Nigeria forever.
His tweets read: “If PDP picks a Northern candidate for the 2023 elections and because the Nigerian electorates are still largely parochial, that candidate wins at the general elections, then the north will rule for another 8 years, making it 16 years at a stretch.
“If this type of “clever political manoeuvering,” is employed to alternate northern candidates between political parties, then it is possible for the north to rule the country in perpetuity.”
Okupe further proposed the adoption of a policy concession in order to satisfy the South West region for a South West president to emerge.
He said “There is no doubt that what I am proposing is a form of political concession. But this is not strange in our political system and history.
“To assuage the SW in 1999 after Abiola’s unfortunate death, a national consensus was adopted to ensure the emergence of a southwest President.”
He urged the PDP to adopt zoning the presidency to the South and not be insensitive to the plight of the Southerners who are yet to produce an elected President.
Okupe stressed that the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria can only be achieved on fairness and equity.
“Therefore for the purpose of equity, fairness and continued unity of the country, our party the PDP must categorically zone the presidency to the south.
“To do otherwise is to exploit political crass opportunism which will be insensitive to the current feeling among most self respecting southerners in the country.
“It is an undeniable fact that cannot be ignored that a zone in the south is yet to produce an elected president.
“The unity and continued peaceful coexistence of our nation can only be predicated on the time tested principle of equity, fairness and justice,” Okupe tweeted.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
