An All Progressives Congress chieftain, Prof. Haruna Yerima, has criticized the agitation of a North-Central group searching for to rotate the Vice President’s place from the North-East to the North-Central.
He acknowledged that this agitation is ill-timed, diversionary, insensitive, and in poor style, emphasizing that such a transfer may disrupt the present political energy dynamics within the nation.
He identified that for the reason that return to democratic rule in 1999, the present energy steadiness has remained steady, with energy shared between the North and the South.
“Between 1999 and 2003, President Olusegun Obasanjo maintained Atiku Abubakar for eight years. President Goodluck Jonathan had Namadi Sambo for six years, from 2010 to 2014,” he famous in a press release launched in Abuja on Thursday.
The previous Home of Representatives member acknowledged, “When the APC gained the elections in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari labored with Professor Yemi Osinbajo for eight years. Why change now?”
Lately, the North-Central Renaissance Motion, led by its chairman, Prof. Nghargbu Ok’tso, threatened to withdraw help from President Bola Tinubu if he fails to current a vice-presidential candidate from their geopolitical zone.
The delegation held a closed-door assembly on Saturday with former Nationwide Safety Adviser, Normal Aliyu Gusau; former lawmaker, Senator John Danboyi; the Onah of Abaji, His Royal Highness Alhaji Musa Baba Yunusa; and others, who declare 65 years of marginalization.
Professor Yerima remarked, “Blackmailing Tinubu to vary his deputy is just not solely undemocratic but additionally insensitive. The selection of Vice President rests solely with the president. Due to this fact, pressuring him to choose somebody he neither likes nor is aware of is counterproductive, primarily based on political expertise.”
“Vice President Kashim Shettima was chosen by President Tinubu after contemplating quite a few components. You can’t impose your candidate on him. The president has an admirable agenda for the nation, and he chosen Senator Kashim Shettima to help him in executing that agenda. Up to now, he has been performing very properly,” the professor added.
The APC chieftain mentioned the declare of 65 years of marginalization of the North-Central is traditionally inaccurate. He acknowledged, “The North-Central, opposite to the group’s assertions, has not confronted 65 years of marginalization. It is because they produced two of the longest-serving Nigerian leaders in historical past. Retired Normal Yakubu Gowon, who was Navy Head of State for 9 years from 1 August 1966 to 29 July 1975, comes from Plateau State; and retired Normal Ibrahim Babangida, who served as army president for eight years from 27 August 1985 to 26 August 1993, is from Niger State. They’re all from the North-Central.”
Professor Yerima added, “By these historic details, the North-Central has ruled this nation for a mixed whole of 17 years out of the 65 years of our independence – making it the area with one of many longest.”
The previous lawmaker mentioned what President Tinubu requires now “is absolute help to ship on his mandate captured within the Renewed Hope Agenda. Refocusing the president’s administration on the 2027 elections is, in all honesty, diversionary and counter-productive. All get together members ought to help the president to ship on his mandate to the satisfaction of the voters.”
