2023: Don’t Create An Odd Situation In Nigeria By Rejecting Zoning Which You Have Enjoyed – Chidoka Warns Northern Politicians

The North has over several years since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, benefitted from the presidential zoning arrangement between political parties.

This position was said by a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka who argued that now that it seems it’s the turn of the North to hand over power to the southern region, they should also comply with the arrangement.

Chidoka made his view known on Sunday when he spoke about the controversy been generated as the country prepares for the 2023 presidential election on whether the zoning agreement should continue or the parties should throw their tickets open.

Speaking at an interview with Channels TV, the former Minister said it won’t be right for the north to back out of the arrangement simply because it wants to cling to power and particularly since it has benefitted from the arrangement too.

Going down memory lane, Chidoka recalled that the zoning arrangement in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ensured past Nigerian leaders like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alh. Umar Musa Yar’Adua, and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had their turns at the presidency.

“In 2019, because the PDP agreed that it was the north’s turn to do eight years, we all zoned the presidency to the north,” he observed.

“If you notice at Port Harcourt, all the 12 contestants for PDP ticket were northern and vice-president Atiku emerged as the candidate because there was an understanding that this is time for the north.”

Chidoka said the northern elites should not scuttle the arrangement for selfish reasons so as not to create ‘an odd situation’ just because they want to cling to power.

“In 2023, the country is now again to be confronted. Will northerners, after having benefitted and agreed to this zoning structure, now turn back to say zoning is undemocratic, zoning is not to be accepted in Nigeria, people should canvass to win an election?

“Beautiful argument on the surface of it, but it appears to me to be some form of sophistry because the country has developed a consensus that is working.

“I do not see any reason why we should dismantle that consensus that power goes north and goes south.

“It will be such an odd situation if the rest of the country does not find an Igbo man who is in sync with the Nigeria ideal and can be trusted to keep Nigeria going forward together,” he added.