2023: The President Must Come From The South – Gov Rotimi Akeredolu

According to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, the country’s Southern region must produce the next president in 2023.

The governor claimed that since the nation’s return to civil rule in 1999, power rotation has been governed by an unwritten agreement and shouldn’t be altered at this time.

The governor was speaking at the one-year memorial of Prof. Bankole Oke of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, when he gave a lecture titled “Nigeria: The politics of religion in a transitional society” on Wednesday, August 10.

He said, “A party that picked somebody from the North as its presidential candidate is not doing so in the country’s interest. (Peter) Obi has the right to contest because he is from the South.

“We are ready to give it whatever it takes to make sure power returns to the South in 2023.

“There appears to be an understanding that power must rotate between the North and the South. This understanding witnessed the contest of two candidates from the South-West for the Presidency. It was part of the unwritten agreement that the power equation must be balanced to allay the fear of domination harboured by the people of the South.

“There is a conscious attempt not to disrupt the extant agreement. There has been a seamless transition from one civilian regime to another since 1999, the longest in the political history of the country.

“The current political permutations raise strong suspicions on an undeclared motive to thwart the arrangement that has been working for the country. The rotation of the office of the President is between the North and the South since the inception of the Fourth Republic.”

Akeredolu also forewarned Nigerians against politicians who, in his view, use religion to divide the citizens.

He also emphasized the necessity of restructuring Nigeria and the creation of a state police force to combat the nation’s widespread insecurity.

The Governor added that the First Republic’s politicians were extremely capable individuals who were elected and appointed to office based on their ability to carry out their duties rather than their religious beliefs.

He said, “Religion is currently being deployed most shamelessly by the elites to gain an unmerited advantage. The earlier we stop this dangerous and divisive campaign, the better it will be for everyone. Any war fought to establish the supremacy of one faith over others can only end in tears. The manipulative skills of politicians currently put to use will aggravate an already bad situation.

“The solution to the challenges faced in the country will not be found in the faiths of individuals. A person’s religious persuasion is based on personal conviction. It is essentially private. The public space must remain secular.

“Consequently, the current agitations for a faith-based political representation are anchored on a certain misapprehension of the requirements for leadership in a multi-ethnic state such as Nigeria.

“It borders on plain mischief to set the people on themselves to attain political power. Any so-called religious leader, who ignores knowledge and competence as necessary criteria to measure leadership capacity, is an apostate.”