A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Tanko-Yakasai, has backed the call for the 2023 presidency to be zoned to the Southern part of the country.
During an appearance on Arise News on Friday, Tanko-Yakasai stated that the South-West should produce the next President, considering the region helped the APC in winning the 2015 general elections.
Tanko-Yakasai disclosed that the South West has quality presidential candidates such as the APC national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is also the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).
The former media aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State added that the South East has not shown its readiness to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.
Yakasai added that the Southeast has not put any prospective candidates forward for the 2023 presidential election and has also failed to negotiate with other regions regarding the Igbo presidency.
He, however, berated Southern Governors Forum for demanding that the 2023 presidency be zoned to the South, stating that the call by the governors was unlawful.
Yakasai explained that the forum was not recognized by the constitution and as such, cannot dictate to any Nigerian whom to vote for.
The APC chieftain asked the governors to stop heating up the polity ahead of the 2023 general election and concentrate on unifying the nation.
In other news, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has berated the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for saying that it regretted thwarting the chances of former President Goodluck Jonathan in winning the 2015 presidential election.
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NEF had through its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, expressed regret that it worked against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 elections to vote in President Muhammadu Buhari.
In an interview with The PUNCH, PANDEF National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, asked the NEF to stop playing with Nigerians, adding that the forum is not sorry for its action.
PANDEF added that it was too late for the NEF to lament its participation in the election of Buhari as President six years ago.
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