2023: Why Northeast should produce the next president of Nigeria – Bibi Dogo
Story from Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
A PDP stalwart, Mallam Bibi Dogo has explained that In the interest of fairness, equity, unity and brotherhood, North East should be allowed to produce the next president of Nigeria in 2023.
Bibi Dogo stated this today in a statement he distributed to newsmen in Bauchi, He states that North East is the most backward region when compared with the regions in the country in terms of socio economic development despite the huge minerals resources and population of electorates in the region.
He called on the political class to ensure the presidential seat is rotated round the six geo-political zones of the country, rather than narrowing it only to the North and South, as a way of ensuring inclusion and proper circulation of power.
“I call for zoning of the presidency to the North East, specifically with a special focus on Bauchi State, because its the only zone that is yet to produce a president, in either civilian or military arrangement, hence Bauchi should be given the chance to produce the next President in 2023.
“Apart from sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, then Atiku Abubakar who was a one time Vice President of Nigeria, apart from these two gentlemen North East didnt get any leader at the top.
“We in the North East are out to pursue the cause of justice and fairness in the polity as a condition for peace and progress of the country”.
Dogo noted that capturing the six geopolitical zones would ensure inclusion and national unity.
He said even interms of States and Local Governments creation in Nigeria, Northeast was not treated fairly considering its land mass and population.
Bibi Dogo said North East has only 120 local Governments areas with big states like Borno 27, Adamawa 21, Taraba 16, Bauchi 20, Gombe 11 and Yobe which has 17 local Government areas. He said these can’t be compared to the South West or North Central that has 154 to 165 local government areas.
“Most Nigerian leaders came from either North Central or South West, North Central produced Murtala, Shagari, Buhari twice, Abacha and Yaradua. While South West Produced Obasanjo twice and Shonekan.
“The Southeast has had the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (six years) and Late General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi (six months), the South-South has produced Dr Goodluck Jonathan (5 years), the Southwest has also had Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (combined eleven years) and Chief Ernest Shonekan (3 months).
“The Northwest has had General Murtala Mohammed (6 months), Alhaji Shehu Shagari (4 years), General Sani Abacha (5 years), Late President Umar Musa Yaradua (3 years) and President Muhammadu Buhari (combined ten years). The North Central has produced General Yakubu Gowon (9 years), General Ibrahim Babangida (8 years) and General Abdulsalami Abubakar (1 year).
“The Northeast has however produced a Nigerian president for zero seconds, zero minutes, zero hours, zero days, zero weeks, zero months and zero years. He stressed.
Bibi Dogo said Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was a one time Prime Minister from Bauchi State, He was killed during a first republic Military Coup, Abiola who was claimed to be the winner of June 12 from Yoruba south west, he lost his life while in detention but Yoruba were compensated with Shonekan and Obasanjo.
However the Northeast and Bauchi were not compensated after prime minister was killed and no one is saying anything about it.
He said “I think in all fairness, we should allow the North-East to produce the President, and even in the Northeast, it should be ensured that the President comes from Bauchi State as a compensation to the late prime minister.
”I want all political parties to give their presidential aspirants and candidates ticket to Bauchi State in North eastern Nigeria. but if that is not possible by the calculation of the political parties, they should ensure that justice and fairness dominate what they want to do in terms of zoning the presidency.
“I belong to the PDP and I believe the PDP will allow justice and fairness to play out but that is not debatable, north east should have it in the best interest of unity of the country, and Bauchi state will be the golden choice of the candidate in the interest of justice and compensation to the State.
Dogo said if Bauchi state is put on a scale, the state can be more than four states in the south interms of land mass and population and yet, when one travel 120 kilometers within one local government from the state capital, and from Taraba, Adamawa to Gombe, Bauchi up to Abuja it’s a single lane of federal road that is completely dilapidated.
“There is no region like this in the country, for such reasons, it’s now time to give our son chance to rule Nigeria in 2023″
“Due to the many years of neglect, the northeast occupies the lowest rung of the country’s socio-economic ladder as poverty, insecurity, unemployment, hunger, power outage and poor Infrastructure are most predominant in that part of the country.
“With the highest number of IDP Camps and out-of-school children on the continent, reputable global institutions have also declared the northeast as the most unsafe place to live in sub-Saharan Africa”.
“Yet, this is the same part of the country that is most strategic to the countrys corporate existence and territorial integrity, sharing borders with a lot of strategic neighbours; same northeast that boasts of veritable water resources, fantastic tourism potential, the most arable land and conducive climate for agriculture, expansive landmass for all manner of economic activities as well as abundant mineral resources and crude oil deposits. What the northeast needs is leadership and quality attention from the federal government”.
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