A former All Progressives Congress National Executive Council member in the South-South who recently joined the Peoples’ Democratic Party , Mr Paul Agbebia Obi, has called on the electorate and political parties to exercise maturity needed to correct the “historical imbalance in Nigeria’s presidency,” saying a northerner needs to be elected as president in 2019, and must occupy the presidency till 2027, as a way of balancing the political power equation between the north and south of the country.
Explaining that the period from 1999 to 2027 is a period of 28 years out of which Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan ruled for 14 years, he noted that “it means that the north will have a balance of its leadership only by 2027.”
“A point of note is that Obasanjo and Jonathan already took fourteen years, however, if the north decides to continue with President Muhammadu Buhari, they would be constrained to the next four years only,” he said, adding that the implication of re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari is that there will be a shortfall of four years for the north since the Buhari presidency cannot last beyond the next four years, if he is elected in 2019.
“But if the north rallies round former Vice President Abubakar Atiku and ensures that he is elected president in 2019, the north will have a fresh eight-year tenure needed to provide the equity that will balance the power imbalance.
“It is therefore advisable that the north drops Buhari and replaces him with Abubakar Atiku who is a northerner that will be able to spend eight fresh years in power if elected in 2019,” he added.
Describing the idea as “the difficult truth which ought to shape northern Nigeria votes in 2019,” the APC Chieftain explained that President Olusegun Obasanjo spent eight years while former President Goodluck Jonathan spent six years, bringing the total number of democratic years in the south to
fourteen.
He recalled that late President Umar Yar ‘Adua spent two years while incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari has spent four years, noting that the Northern part needs another eight years to balance the Obasanjo and Jonathan periods.
“With Buhari they are constrained to only four years till 2023, but with Abubakar Atiku, the difference will be reconciled,” he said adding that the idea provides a lot of fairness and equity.
“We in the South don’t see anything wrong with power staying in North for another eight years. It’s for equity, above all, Nigeria must work and make progress,” he said.
Explaining why he called it “the difficult truth, he said: “It’s painful that we have not successfully integrated North and South from our hearts. But we have learnt to accept our country Nigeria, and we Love it.
He said the South-East must acknowledge that even if Abubakar Atiku is elected and rules for eight years, Nigeria will not end and the opportunity will always be there.
“The only difference is that the present generation of politicians will naturally fade away while a finer breed of Igbo men will run Nigeria.
“There is no Security in the APC promise either that power will return to South East. I am sincere to call the North to an understanding and the South East to another form of understanding that we must balance the equity and that 2027 is not too far.
While saying that it’s better to build on the truth from the beginning, he noted that, “it may interest the north to know that we are showing them love and brotherhood.”
“Nigerians are faced with the choice of choosing a team that know how to fix the economy or continue with those who are still promising us hardship as if what we are going through now is not enough.”
“The people that brought the bad name for Peoples Democratic Party have all left to the All Progressives Congress are Akpabio, Amaechi among others.
“The PDP as it is today, is configured with those who had believed in the ideals of Service but the powerful corrupt ones prevented them. Fortunately, the corrupt ones have left to join Buhari in APC and doing exploit. No wonder we hear of FIRS revenue in trillions, Customs in trillions, NPA among others all put together exceeding the budget yet we still borrow to add in trillions and achieve only 10 percent of Capital budget. It’s not the name PDP that was stealing, it was the leaders, now they are 80 percent in APC. Our fragile Country is too important to risk it again. The thieves that have gathered in APC should collectively be rejected.
