By Idris Mai-Agogo
Another presidential run from the Northwest geopolitical zone? No, not again. Not because there are no good presidential materials from the zone [there will always be], but because the price of producing another president from that zone in 2023 will be costly for Northern unity and solidarity, as well as for political peace in the country generally.
Ideally, Nigerians should have by now overcome this feeling, that the most important consideration in the choice of leaders is their region of origin. It is a very backward feeling, to be frank, because citizens irrespective of regions of origin reap the benefits of good governance and also suffer the pains of bad governance. If insecurity, power shortages, fuel queues, kerosene shortages or ASUU strikes befall the country, everyone suffers from the consequences, except perhaps if you are very wealthy.
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Similarly, if the country is enjoying a boom period, jobs abound, money circulates, power supply is stable, shops are well stocked, goods and services are affordable, public schools and hospitals dispense quality services and there is security, citizens will reap the benefits irrespective of their regions of origin or those of the leader who orchestrated the situation.
But since our political culture is still stuck at the talk around zoning, rotation and power shift, we cannot run away from it at this moment. Northwest is the country’s most populous zone, with more registered voters than any other zone and with more states than any other geopolitical zone. It has however had a commensurate share in leading the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who is from Katsina in the Northwest zone, is expected to complete his eight-year term next year. Fourteen years ago, President Umaru Yar’adua from the same state and zone was president but his tenure was truncated by death. Vice President Muhammad Namadi Sambo was from Kaduna State, in the same zone.
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In contrast, since 1999, Northeast zone has produced a Vice President [Atiku Abubakar] but North Central zone has produced neither a president nor vice president. Some would say that there were three Heads of State from the Northcentral zone [Generals Gowon, Babangida and Abdulsalami] during the years of military rule, but then, we should not count something that voters had no hand in. Even if we are to count from earlier epochs, Northwest zone produced the Second Republic president [Shehu Shagari], as well as two military Heads of State [Muhammadu Buhari and Sani Abacha], not to mention the region’s overwhelming First Republic Premier, Sardauna.
Good presidential materials abound in other Northern zones as well as in every other part of the country. In order to maintain unity and solidarity in the North, aspirants from Northcentral and Northeast zones should be given a chance to step forward. Aspirants from the Northwest should take a back seat for now.
…Dr. Mai-Agogo, a researcher and writer on politics, writes from Kaduna State.