Ahead of the 2023 general election, a chieftain of the ruling of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu has declared that the breach of the power rotation principle has remained a major albatross and a a very big burden facing the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in his last bid to become the president of Nigeria.
Okechukwu described the APC Northern Governors’ letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on June 4, 2022, as evidence that the rotation of the presidency between the North and South is intended to unite the country.
He quoted the governors saying, “After careful deliberation, we wish to state our firm conviction that after eight years in office of President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC for 2023 election should be one of our teeming members from the southern states of Nigeria.
“It is a question of honour for the APC, an obligation that is not in anyway affected by the decisions taken by another political party. We affirm that upholding this principle is in the interest of building a stronger, more united and more progressive country.”
The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), also recalled former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s statement on the matter: “I am very much aware that it’s the turn of the South to produce the next President of Nigeria. I was part of the meeting when the agreement was made between Northern and Southern Leaders. I am even surprised PDP gave her ticket to another North candidate.
“It will be an injustice to the South if the North retains Power after 8 years of rule.”
He insisted that it would be a herculean task for Atiku in his mission to divide North and South to defeat the APC Northern Governors’ Forum, President Muhammadu Buhari, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and a host of other unifier patriots like Afenifere Leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Governor Wike, Chief Edwin Clark and uncountable unifier patriots who support power shift from North to South.
“My take is that Atiku is not a unifier and cannot defeat the Northern Governors’ Forum, Buhari, Obasanjo, Adebanjo, Clark and sophisticated northern electorate by his mission to win by dividing the north and the south.
“It is an unforced error to think that he can manipulate our fault lines and the abundance of unifier patriots of the north. The Northern electorate are very sophisticated. They voted for Zik, Abiola and Obasanjo.
“Truly, take it or leave it, Governor Nyesom Wike’s main grouse is Atiku’s violent breach of PDP’s Constitution, manipulation of Governor Aminu Tambuwal and our fault lines.
“My bet is that the wound of Machiavellian dosage Atiku infested the PDP is not likely going to heal before 2023 presidential election.
“These unifier patriotic forces won’t allow him no matter his gusto to trample and rubbish the good works of patriots who sacrificed their presidential ambition and instituted the rotation convention in our political firmament.”
He therefore challenged all unifiers and genuine democrats “to join hands and stop His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar before he divides the north and the south by rubbishing the political power rotation arrangement between the North and South, which is the bond of our unity and the health of our democracy.”Okechukwu argued that Chief Obasanjo’s statement that a wrong outcome of the 2023 general election could consume Nigeria “is a veiled warning to the dangers of voting another northern presidential candidate to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.”
