Ali Ndume, the chairman Senate Committee on Army, has kicked against zoning the presidency to the North ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The lawmaker told journalists on Saturday, March 13, 2021, that in the spirit of fairness, justice and equity, any part of the South should produce the next All Progressives Congress presidential candidate.
According to him, any attempt to zone the party’s presidential ticket to the North would be tantamount to third term after President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in office.
He said, “I’m against APC producing its presidential candidate from the North. The APC presidential candidate should come from the South. I have said it before and will still say it again that if we have a northerner as APC presidential candidate, to me, it is tantamount to third term, and it is not constitutional.
“The (APC) constitution says the president shall serve two terms, and we said then that the north should serve two terms.
“If you say the north should produce the presidential candidate again, it means you are going for third term, which is not fair and I believe in fairness, justice and equality.
“Let candidate from the south — and that means, south-south, southeast and south-west — clinch the ticket.
“For the southeast, let me say for example, you want to be the head of this house and you are calling for the division of the house, will it work?
“And I think the southeast needs to think about it. That is what is creating the rumour for the northerners to even say they want to be the president again. If you want to be president of Nigeria, you must believe in the unity of Nigeria. I support the candidate to come anywhere from the south.”
Source: Daily Post
