The battle between the North and the
South-south over 2015 presidency took a twist as a two-time former
governor of the defunct Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, said the
North has no claim to power until 2027.
Ogbemudia argued that the North’s right to the presidency would be valid after the South-south would have completed eight years, and the South-east taken its turn of eight years.
He acknowledged that South-west set the precedent when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, from the zone, did eight years at Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
The Professor Ango Abdullahi-led Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has been at the forefront of the agitation for power to return to the North in 2015 on the grounds that the region was short-changed when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who assumed office in 2007, died midway into his tenure, and President Goodluck Jonathan, his deputy from the South-south, succeeded him.
Jonathan not only completed Yar’Adua’s tenure as president but also secured re-election in 2011.
The bone of contention now is whether he should proceed on second term in 2015 or power should revert to the North. Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State claimed there was a gentleman’s agreement with the North that Jonathan will serve one term only to enable the region return to power in 2015.
“The South-west came in, in 1999 and served for eight years. The South-south should also do eight years. And the truth is that the South-east is also entitled to the presidency when the South-south must have finished its eight years,” Ogbemudia contended.
Ogbemudia argued that the North’s right to the presidency would be valid after the South-south would have completed eight years, and the South-east taken its turn of eight years.
He acknowledged that South-west set the precedent when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, from the zone, did eight years at Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
The Professor Ango Abdullahi-led Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has been at the forefront of the agitation for power to return to the North in 2015 on the grounds that the region was short-changed when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who assumed office in 2007, died midway into his tenure, and President Goodluck Jonathan, his deputy from the South-south, succeeded him.
Jonathan not only completed Yar’Adua’s tenure as president but also secured re-election in 2011.
The bone of contention now is whether he should proceed on second term in 2015 or power should revert to the North. Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State claimed there was a gentleman’s agreement with the North that Jonathan will serve one term only to enable the region return to power in 2015.
“The South-west came in, in 1999 and served for eight years. The South-south should also do eight years. And the truth is that the South-east is also entitled to the presidency when the South-south must have finished its eight years,” Ogbemudia contended.
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