Elder statesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi says political parties should jettison zoning of their presidential tickers, insisting that power shift arrangement is dead and buried.
Abdullahi, who is the convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), stated this in his Zaria, Kaduna State home while playing host to the leadership of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Leadership reports.
He said that no fewer than 11 presidential aspirants from various political parties across regional divides have visited him to seek his advice and support.
The former Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) said it was high time political parties allowed competence to supersede every other consideration in picking their presidential flagbearers.
According to him, “The issue of zoning or power shift is dead and buried. Candidates should be allowed to contest election on the basis of merit of their competence and not where they come from.
“Hence the Northern Elders Forum is of the opinion that the presidential position should be left open for standard norms of democratic process.”
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Explaining how former Senate President Bukola Saraki (North Central) and Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed (North East) emerged as the northern consensus candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdullahi said four aspirants started the process.
“They met former military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida and told him they had concluded consultations on possible consensus candidates but failed to arrive at one person and requested him to assist.
“The aspirants insisted on us choosing from among them but we told them it was not possible, so we consulted elders from across the North West, North Central and North East before Aminu Tambuwal and Atiku Abubakar withdrew from the process.
“All elders voted for first and second choice. Saraki and Mohammed tied and both of them were asked to either pick one among themselves or do further consultation on the best among them and our recommendation was signed by me as Ango Abdullahi and not on behalf of NEF, a position I made very clear at a press conference I addressed in Minna”