Where Is The Zoning? By Bello Galadi

The discussion on the zoning of the Presidency in 2023 has generated heated debate within a short period of time.

Incidentally, I am not a Presidential Candidate and I am not promoting any candidate.

To be candid, I don’t care where the President comes from- north or south. My only concern is his competence to manage the country.

By May 2023, Nigeria will be 24 years in democracy.

Out of the 24 years, the south enjoyed the Presidency for 13 years (3 tenures plus 1 year) while the north enjoyed 11 years (2 tenures plus 3 years). The computation is as follows:

1. Chief Olesegun Obasanjo- 1999 to 2007 (South).
2. Alh. Umaru Musa Yar aduwa- 2007 to 2010 (North).
3. Goodluck Jonathan- 2010 to 2015 (South).
4. Muhammadu Buhari- 2015 to 2023 (North).

It is evidently clear that the south has enjoyed more time in the Presidency than the north.

Again, out of the 24 years of Nigeria’s democracy (by May 2023), only 3 states out of the 36 states of the federation and Abuja produced the Presidents. They are Ogun, Katsina and Bayelsa States. There is every likelihood of these States producing more Presidents in the future at the expense of other States. So where is the zoning?

Out of the 11 years of Presidency enjoyed by the north, a single state enjoyed the whole mandate. Both Yar aduwa and Buhari are from the same Katsina State, which is detrimental to the other 18 States in the north. The zoning is on its head.

Goodluck Jonathan spent 5 years as the President and he is a key contender now, at the expense of other states in the south. Where is the zoning?

I think, it is high time we jettison the idea of zoning and consider competence as the yardstick for the nomination of Presidential Candidates in Nigeria.

And if for whatever reason, we feel we should continue with the zoning arrangement, then, the arrangement should be embedded in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, so that every citizen will feel the true meaning of zoning and have a sense of belonging.

It should be clearly stated in the Constitution that the Presidency should be rotated among the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.

That’s my layman’s understanding of ‘zoning’.

Galadi is a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Gusau Branch (covering Zamfara State) & President of Bello Galadi Foundation.

He can be reached on:

muhammadbel_law@yahoo.com & muhammadbellaw80@gmail.com

5th February, 2022