The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal says it’s not impossible for a southerner to become the next president of Nigeria in 2023 but…
Barely one year into the most contested election in the country, the question on every Nigerian’s lip is, who who will become the next Commander in Chief, the General Overseer of the biggest economy in West Africa.
However, the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal has joined other political pundits to wade in on the issue of which region will produce the next Commander in Chief.
The governor submitted that although it is difficult for a Southerner to become a president of Nigeria, it is not impossible.
What is the issue?
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Nigeria is a country polarised by two poles, the North and the South. Whereas the North is made up of the Hausa speaking, predominantly Muslim majority, the South is a much more diversified lot. Made up of the Yorubas-Igbos majority, there are more than 150 ethnic groups lumped up within the South.
Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has produced 12 presidents and heads of states. Out of that 12 Commanders-in-Chief, 9 have emerged from the Northern part of Nigeria alone. An issue which other regions have disagreed with.
The other regions, mostly the Igbos, argue that since Nigeria belongs to everybody, each region should be given the chance not just to contest, but to rule the country. Meanwhile, the Northerners are quick to point out that Nigeria is a capitalist democracy and in a capitalist democracy, nothing is handed to anyone. There is a system of getting things done and when it comes to election, every region is allowed to compete. Whoever has the number wins. Majority carries the vote.
Zoning
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Based on this controversy, a section of political stakeholders believe the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the South while another group believes the North should retain the presidency as zoning is not constitutional.
However, when asked during a recent interview about the possibility of a southern candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerging the next leader of the country should the party zone its ticket to the South, Tambuwal gave the following conditions on why it is difficult but not impossible for a Southerner to become the next president of Nigeria.
It depends on the decision of political players and certain fundamental indices.
Any political party that wants to win the 2023 election must do away with sentiments and strategize to present a candidate that can get the people’s vote regardless of the region.
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Voting strength of every region in the country plays a critical role in determining election winners.
The Northern part of Nigeria has a total population of over 100 million alone. This is an undue advantage in a country where votes counts on papers and distrust is rife. The Northern elders and political leaders are aware of this indices and will always exploit it to their advantage. For the Northerners, democracy is a game of numbers, and they have the numbers.
Meanwhile, responding to the question about a southern PDP presidential candidate for 2023, the DPD chieftain said: “It depends on certain fundamentals and indices. If it is the decision of political players, just as it was done in 1999, that the major political parties would field candidates from a particular region as was done in the case of President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae, then if Nigerians are having only two options from two regions, one of them would win.
“But if there is any political party that decides to go South and other ones North, the numbers will count. And we all know the voting strength of every bloc in this country. So it is up to political parties that are really interested in winning election not to be guided by certain primordial considerations or sentiments to strategize and throw up a candidate that can win election for that political party. It is a matter of strategy.”