THE Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has no option but to abide by the decision of the governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria’s North to cede presidential power to the country’s South, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said.
El-Rufai stated this while briefing State House reporters on Monday, June 6, 2022.
El-Rufai and other APC governors in the North dashed to the State House on Monday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari after news filtered out that the party’s chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, had picked the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, as the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2023 poll.
The governors maintained their earlier stand of ceding the presidency to the South after Buhari’s two terms of four years each ends on May 29, 2023. The president is from the North-West.
Nigeria’s North consists of 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, while the South has 17.
Because the country consists of diverse nationalities, citizens expect power rotation between the North and the South.
Addressing the reporters, El-Rufai said Bello, who is aspiring for the presidency, excused himself from the meeting when his colleagues sent him the invitation to meet Buhari.
He said Bello disagreed with the governors’ position to cede power to the South.
“The governor of Kogi State chose to excuse himself from meeting with the president because he believes he does not agree with our position. There are 14 APC governors out of the 19 northern states. 13 of us are on one page on this subject, and we all came to see the president, but the governor of Kogi State excused himself. It is within his democratic right to excuse himself.
“But 12 out of 14 is a super majority. 13 of 14 is an even bigger majority. The 13 of us met with the president today and what our leaders communicated to you is the summary of the discussion with Mr President.
“I have said this in this hall over and over. I don’t know why people assume that when you have 100 people, everybody must agree before a decision can be taken. That is the key to analysis paralysis. When the majority, or even a super majority, like 12 out of 14, take a decision, everyone is bound. There is no time that everyone will agree on a decision. It’s part of human nature. But what is the majority view of northern governors? We represent the majority, even a super majority,” the governor said.
It is not clear if Bello will step down in today’s APC presidential primary, like his colleague in the North, the Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, had done following the northern governors’ decision.
The party goes into the primary with about 21 contestants.
The party’s national leader, Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayode; and Senator Ibikunle Amosun are the leading aspirants for the party’s ticket in the South-West.
Former ministers, Rotimi Ameachi and Godswill Akpabio, will lead the aspirants from the South-South, while Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi; and former ministers, Emeka Uwajiuba and Ogbonnaya Onu, are the front runners for the office in the South-East.
The APC candidate will be facing candidates of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), in the presidential election next year.
