Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume has advised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the Southern part of Nigeria.
He said that this was necessary for the sake of fairness and justice, adding that allowing the north produce the next president would amount to third term.
The Borno South senator disclosed this in an interview with Daily Trust.
Ndume, who equally advised the party to zone the 2015 presidential ticket to the South, said retaining the presidency in the north could have negative effects on the party and the country.
“To me, as a founding member of the APC that witnessed the first convention where the presidency was deliberately zoned to the North and four candidates from the region: President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Sam Nda-Isaiah, slugged it out, with Rochas Okorocha exercising his constitutional rights.
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“I, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, I feel that it would not be fair, equitable and just to field a northern candidate for the presidency in APC, 2023. To me, fielding a northern candidate will be tantamount to third term, which is unconstitutional,” the former Senate Leader stated.
There have been calls among many Southern leaders for the region to produce the president in 2023, amid condemnations for President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura, who urged Nigeria to discard zoning in the forthcoming election.
Ndume said Southerners should be allowed to compete among themselves to produce the president in the next presidential election.
“For me, I have drawn the line already because everybody will stand before God and account for his deeds. We supported the zoning of the presidency to the North and we supported the president and he is spending his eight years in line with the constitution of the country.
“By extension, the North is only allowed to serve two terms. So, if a northerner comes in again, it does not matter whether the person is Buhari or not, or a new name, that would mean that the North is going in for a third term; which is unconstitutional,” Ndume stated.