Leaders of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum (SMBLF), have condemned “the obvious schemes” by the two major political in the country, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for abandoning zoning in the race for the 2023 election.
The major parties have somewhat thrown their presidential tickets open for contest.
SMBLF said in the communiqué signed by its leaders that jettisoning zoning and power rotation which the Nigerian federation has, since Independence, been premised would further create discord among the entities in the country and exacerbate tension in the land.
It warned that the scheme by the PDP and APC to foist northern presidential candidates on the nation would be a grave misadventure.
The communique reads: “The SMBLF firmly reiterates its stance on the principle of zoning and power rotation between the North and the South, as the basis on which the Nigerian federation has, since Independence, been premised. We state, unequivocally, that the zoning and rotation of the presidency of Nigeria are fundamental to the future existence of the country.
“Accordingly, we condemn, in strongest terms, obvious schemes by the two main political parties, the PDP and APC, ahead of their presidential primaries, to jettison the time-honoured principle of rotation, which has traditionally served as the glue holding the Federal Republic of Nigeria together.
“We warn that the reported permutations by the main political parties to foist northern presidential candidates on the nation would be a grave misadventure, with grim consequences on national concord and harmony.
“We, therefore, call on all delegates of all political parties, and true lovers of democracy, as a sacred obligation, to reject presidential aspirants, or candidates, from the North, and only vote for those from the South in the party primaries.
“We also call on all politicians and professionals from the South not to accept, on any account, the position of Vice President, as that would amount to a shameful committal of present and future generations of southern Nigeria to senseless political vassalage.”
