Mr. Roland Owie, a former Senate Chief Whip, has said it is the right of the North to produce the president in 2023 to balance the period spent by the South since 1999.
He said this was the only option in the spirit of equity, justice and fairness.
Speaking with journalists at his residence in Benin, he however posited that after 2023, the Presidency should be ceded to the South East.
According to him, the South has held sway at the top political office in Nigeria more than the North since 1999.
He said, “Presidency came from South-West with Obasanjo even though he lost his unit, he lost his Local Government Area and even lost the entire zone but he became President of Nigeria and completed his two-term tenure.
“Then, power shifted to the North and produced Yar’Adua, one of the best presidents Nigeria has ever had.
“The man, who agreed that his election was flawed, and brought peace to the Niger Delta region, died and the vice-president, took over.
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“You can see the wisdom in the late General Sani Abacha’s constitution which was not adopted. He made provision for a second vice-president from the zone that produces the president.
“If we had adopted the Abacha constitution, it means when Yar’Adua died, the vice-president from his zone would have taken over, we would not have been where we are today.
“Yar’Adua died and (his vice, Dr. Goodluck) Jonathan took over and completed the remaining years in their joint tenure and also secured another four years.
“If there were no greedy leaders, my suggestion at our South-South leader’s meeting that Jonathan should allow somebody from the North to run for the presidency since age was still on his side should have been adopted.
“However, those who felt that they owned the PDP, who were not there when PDP was formed lured the man and pushed him to go for a third term.
“Today, when you calculate, after Buhari’s tenure expires in 2023, the North will have four years and 244 days to complete their own quota of the presidency.
“So, it is not the turn of the South yet. When there is no justice, there can’t be peace. So the slot for 2023 is for the North.”
