‘Ganging up against North won’t give you president in 2023’-Shekarau

Ibrahim Shekarau, the Senator representing Kano Central, has challenged Southern governors to cease using threats and band together against the North in their bid for the presidency in 2023.

The federal legislator, and former Kano State governor, stated that the subject of where the next president should emerge is a party problem that should be resolved by the political parties.

Shekarau believes President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor should be from the country’s south to provide a sense of belonging.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman made this remark on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily Programme, which was broadcast in Abuja yesterday.

See Also 2023; Dokpesi Supports North for President.

The 17 Southern governors have convened twice this year to seek a change in power to the region, while the 19 Northern governors met last week to oppose such a move, emphasizing that the candidate with the most votes will be elected President in the next general election.

He said: “As far as the party I belong is concerned, the APC, my proposal is that now that President Buhari is from the northern part of the country and (after) he has done his eight years, let’s beam the searchlight to the southern part of Nigeria, not because we don’t have competent people in the north…that does not mean you are throwing away the issue of competence, credibility and so on.

“While I agree we should go for the best and therefore throw it open, regardless of which part of the country, but we must also be mindful of the aspect of the sense of belonging. We must be mindful of perception, to give some sense of belonging to every part of Nigeria.

“Where I disagree with the Southern Governors is coming together to gang up to say it must be our turn. I think this is purely a party affair. We must not do this at the point of threat, that it must be me, it must be he, we need to come together. This is more of a political party issue.

“My point of disagreement with the gang up groups like the Southern Governors is coming to gang up to say it must be our time, this is wrong, it is purely (a) party issue and the political parties should go into the boardrooms and sort this issue out themselves.

“Today, the Southern Governors gang up, tomorrow, another group would gang up and say it must be us.

The former governor urged the Southern Governors to be careful with their pronouncement which could amount to instigating the general public.

“Governors are very prominent people in the scheme of things, they are leaders, so, they must be careful coming together to make some pronouncement that would amount to instigating the general public to take a stand and see it as a regional fight,” Shekarau added.

“Where I disagree with the Southern Governors is coming together to gang up to say it must be our turn. I think this is purely a party affair. We must not do this at the point of threat, that it must be me, it must be he, we need to come together. This is more of a political party issue.

“My point of disagreement with the gang up groups like the Southern Governors is coming to gang up to say it must be our time, this is wrong, it is purely (a) party issue and the political parties should go into the boardrooms and sort this issue out themselves.

“Today, the Southern Governors gang up, tomorrow, another group would gang up and say it must be us.The former governor urged the Southern Governors to be careful with their pronouncement which could amount to instigating the general public.

“Governors are very prominent people in the scheme of things, they are leaders, so, they must be careful coming together to make some pronouncement that would amount to instigating the general public to take a stand and see it as a regional fight,” Shekarau added.