The debate on the vexed issue of rotational presidency intensified on Friday after a Coalition of Civil Society Groups called on the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) and the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone their Presidential ticket for 2023 to the South.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, President of the Coalition group, Bassey Etuk Williams said his group’s choice of power shift to the South in 2023 is for the sake of Nigeria’s unity.
The group implored both APC and PDP to ahead of their conventions be guided by the “unwritten convention of Power rotation between the North and South since 1999 and ensure that the right thing is done by zoning their tickets to the South.
“Let it be known that, there won’t be either APC or PDP if there is no country called Nigeria”.
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The coalition said National Interest must be placed above other interest seeking to downplay the convention of rotational presidency.
“National interest must override personal interest who are pushing parties to jettison the conventional rotation agenda of Presidency. Both parties must and should follow what will retain the Unity of the country and zone presidency to the Southern states come 2023”.
The group said while it is aware that power is not just given; it will deploy its wide network of structures with APC, PDP and other political parties to ensure that presidency shifts to the South in 2023 and Nigeria’s unity is not in any way fragmented.
“Northern region have been in power since 2015 and after exhausting the constitutional right years by 2023, it is expected that power will rotate to the South. This is lawful and can guarantee peace and unity of the country.
