The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof Itse Sagay, says a section of the north is against zoning ahead of the 2023 presidential election in order to keep power in the region after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
He said that zoning and rotational presidency give each zone a sense of belonging, and berated those clamouring for competence as the primary criterion for choosing the next president as being “too clever”.
Sagay stated these in an interview published by Saturday Sun.
He said, “People should not be too clever because I’m seeing some cleverness in those who are now talking of competence.
“I would be more comfortable with them saying that, if the part of the country from which they do not come has spent eight years, then if they talk of competence I would take them very seriously.
“I see some of these talks of competence as a disguise for wanting perpetuation of power in one section of the country.
“There is no doubt about it; both parts of the country have competent people, there is no monopoly of competence. If this is an arrangement that assuages all the feelings of the people to give them the confidence that they have a role in running the country and that their side of the country is respected in a manner that things are done and organised in the country, then that political peace and quietude that rotation brings is worth it and be respected. Either side has competent people.
“Those who are calling for competence should say, let somebody who is competent from the side, in this case, the South come out and we support that person, otherwise, there will be room for suspicion that we are dealing with irredentism or some sort.”
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