By Nkiruka Nistoran
It’s time to address the issue of rotating the presidency between the southern and northern regions of Nigeria. The supposed rotation was disregarded by the South-West, which has a history of seizing power to the detriment of the Old Eastern Region, now known as the South-East, and the South-South.
In 2015, the South-West aligned with the north to oust Goodluck Jonathan from power. This political maneuvering contributed to the current insecurity in Nigeria, as they were driven by a desperate ambition to install Muhammadu Buhari, with the expectation that power would return to them after eight years. This scenario played out in 2023.
In that year, the South-West again disregarded Nigeria’s secular principles by presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket with Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, which they successfully pushed through. They justified this by claiming that no one from the north-central region was qualified to be vice president.
The challenges facing Nigeria today can be traced back to these actions. Therefore, it is unjustifiable to argue that the southern region should complete another eight-year term when the South-West has betrayed other southern regions, particularly the South-East.
I support the return of power to the north in 2027 unless it goes to the South-East. Thus, I back the Atiku/Obi ticket. To those from the Eastern region, it is crucial to recognize the threat the South-West poses to the southern rotation of the presidency.
I rest my case.