Ohanaeze has lashed at Governor Yahaya Bello for his comment on the zoning of the presidency.
Gatekeepers News reports that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has lashed at the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, over a statement credited to him on the zoning of the presidency in Nigeria.
Governor Bello on Friday said zoning of the presidency is not compulsory since it isn’t recognised in the nation’s constitution, adding that the best candidate should be someone who will unite the country.
In reaction to this, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbonnia on Monday, stated that the zoning of the presidency between the north and south was agreed upon in 1998 when Bello was still a university student.
Ogbonnia said, “Governor Bello was still a student, studying accountancy at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria when an agreement was reached between the North and the South with respect to Rotational Presidency.”
“The meeting was held at the National University Commission Conference Centre, Abuja in 1998. Dr.Chuba Okadigbo spoke on behalf of the South while Alh. Abubakar Rimi spoke for the North. The likes of Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, etc were at the meeting.
“The Nigerian statesmen examined the merits and demerits of zoning and rotation of power between the composite zones in Nigeria. In the end, it was resolved that the presidency be conceded to the South and that it would rotate between the South and the North in the interest of equity, unity, and corporate existence of Nigeria.
“The foregoing was the basis for the emergence of presidential candidates of the mainstream political parties from the South West in 1999. Since then, the patriotic and peace-loving Nigerians have adhered to the rotation principle such that at the end of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s second tenure, President Musa Yar’Adua was elected; Goodluck Jonathan and then President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo further noted that the Bello is embarking on a political adventure that lacks both conscience and principle.
