The North-Central People’s Forum (NCPF) has said zoning of the presidency to any region is needless, unconstitutional and should be jettisoned in the build-up to the 2023 general poll.
Addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, Secretary General of the forum, Alhaji Khaleel Bolaji, said competence should be the guiding principle in the choice of who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
He said Nigerians should vote for a competent person, who has integrity and is committed to ending the avalanche of challenges bedevilling the nation, rather than agitating for zoning of the top job to a particular region.
Bolaji, who described as needless, the recent resolution of southern governors that the South should produce the next president, argued that the North-Central, South-East and North-East have been shortchanged in the political equation of the nation and should be recognised if zoning must be operational.
“That is our position because that stand will popularise the country. Competence is what we stand for and it can come from anybody from the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
“We have to put the facts straight, if we don’t, then we don’t love this country. That’s why we are saying we need competent leaders.
“Nigeria as a country needs a leader that would do the right thing, someone who is detribalised and a nationalist. Even if Northern governors come out tomorrow and say the presidency should be zoned to the North, we will say the same thing. It is high time Nigeria moved forward,” he said.