Senator representing Nasarawa West, Abdullahi Adamu has described as “unconstitutional” the call for the 2023 presidency to be zoned to the South-East geopolitical zone.
He said that he understood and sympathised with the sentiments of those agitating for the zone to produce the president but warned that zoning contravened constitutional provisions.
The former Nasarawa governor spoke Monday at a media briefing in Abuja.
Read Also: Man loses 3 children to building collapse in Jigawa
He said, “Nowhere in the Nigerian constitution does it say we should zone any public office. There is federal character, but not that parties must zone positions for presidency during election.
“Yes, somebody is saying the east has not had a president. I agree and I sympathise. But the constitution says you can only become president through the ballot box.
“We have been saying it during elections that every vote must count. So, why do you want to zone?
“Let us just go by merit. Let every party find a way of selling itself in a manner that will garner the kind of votes that will win the election. It is as simple as that.
“Do we have anything like that in the American constitution? It is democracy. Why do you want to change it? Wishful thinking only. How do you zone it?”