North Central Coalition for leadership has insisted that come 2023 presidential election, the presidency should move to the North Central region. The group also stressed that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria never allotted the seat of the presidency of the nation to any particular region of the country.
The Director-General of (NCCL), Mr Williams Oluwatoyin in a press statement issued to the media in Lokoja said, any qualified citizen as clearly stated by the provision of this binding document can contest for this highly esteemed position.
He noted that they totally reject the continued relegation of their best heads across party lines to the role of party chairmanship as it has to be over the decade.
He said that after several military regimes, the Fourth Republic was finally ushered in in May 1999 and then the South West produced Olusegun Obasanjo who served for two tenures of 8 years, nothing that the South-South has produced Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who spent 6 years in power.
He noted that the Northwest, however, has produced 3 presidents and a total of 11years so far. Alhaji Shehu Shagari spent 4 years, The late Umar Musa YarAdua 2 years and President Mohammadu Buhari, who is into his second tenure, while other regions have also produced Vice Presidents; from NorthEast Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (8 years), Arc Namadi Sambo (NorthWest, 6 years), Prof. Yomi Osinbajo (SouthWest, 5 years so far), Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (SouthSouth, 2years). What is the offence of the Northcentral region?
He posited that the question that has bothered them as a region is whether they do not possess the needed qualification to lead the country considering our investment and perseverance with the other region. Despite being greatly marginalized, we have kept our cool and have continued to hold true to the idea of one indivisible entity.
The statement read thus, “When will equity, fairness and Justice speak for our region? We can’t wait further, 2023 is our best time and we must put our all to actualize this lofty dream.
“The position of the chairman of any party is truly desirable but after many years of organizing party affairs, we realised that we deserved better and that better is the presidency.
“We say No! to political marginalisation which has brought nothing but backwardness and stagnation. We say No! to being viewed as the region unworthy of the presidential seat. We say No!
“While we again make a passionate and timely appeal on leaders from the region across party lines to form a united front that would become a formidable force that cannot be neglected.
“As a group, we want to urge the leaders of the region to unite their strength, resources and human power together and ensure that the next president of the nation emerges from the North Central geo-political zone. It is our time and we must let Nigerians know.
“On our part, we are putting research together in a bid to identify, verify and validate who would be our candidate from the North Central, after which our mechanisms would revolve around that individual and we would support the individual the best way we can.