… SAYS INSISTING ON NOTHERN PRESIDENCY WILL LEAD TO CHAOS, DISINTEGRATION
Ijaw National Leader, and Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark has called on Presidential aspirants of Northern extraction to drop their ambitions in the interest of national unity and indeed the existence of the country.
Specifically, he urged former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, and other PDP aspirants from the North to give a second thought to their plan to contest for the position of President in 2023.
He said that an insistence by Northern politicians to contest for the position would lead to anarchy and eventual disintegration of the country which should be avoided.
The elder statesman insisted that it is now the turn of the South to produce the President of Nigeria after eight years of Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency.
Pa Clark made the call in a statement which he personally signed and made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday .
He said, “Firstly, I wish to use this medium to advise my most respected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftains in the persons of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, and other PDP aspirants from the north, that in the interest of maintaining the unity of this country to which they have contributed so much, to re-consider their desire of wanting to contest for the Presidential election in 2023, because both by the PDP Constitution and by convention, it is now the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the President of Nigeria, in 2023, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s 8 years.
“To do otherwise, is to invite chaos, which will lead to the disintegration of our dear country.”
“The South and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, under my leadership, has held two important meetings to support the resolution of the 17 Governors of the southern Nigeria, that presidency of the country, should rotate to the south.
One of the meetings was held at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, on 30th May, 2021, which was attended by over 500 members of the Forum from the four regions of the Middle Belt, South-East, South-South and South-West. The second meeting was held also in Abuja on 13thJanuary, 2022, and had in attendance, prominent members from the regions.
Pa Clark is is the Chairman of the South and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, said that he found it rather shocking that Atiku, Saraki, and others who opposed former President Jonathan’s decision to contest the Presidential elections in 2015 are making moves to contest in 2023.
He wondered why such politicians who raised the issue of national unity and the arrangement on zoning will be making moves to contest after Buhari’s eight straight years as President.
“As I have said earlier, I have observed with dismay, that some of my respected friends, especially, the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the distinguished former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who opposed former President Goodluck Jonathan for contesting the Presidential elections because they felt it was the turn of the North, are now wanting to contest for the presidency under the PDP in 2023.
“They are already campaigning through the length and breadth of the country, even after a northerner will be having a straight 8 years, come May, 2023.
“Is it no longer not a negation of the ‘zoning agreement,’ for which former President Goodluck Jonathan was castigated? Is it no longer threatening the unity and survival of the country? As the intention of these and others who may follow, will be going against the zoning system of the PDP. It may even be the deciding factor for the PDP, whether to be or not to be.
“The recent resolution by the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum that the presidency should be zoned to the south and that those who refuse to heed to our plea/decision, should not count on our support, is wholly supported by me, as the leader.”