By Emma Ogbuehi
The Northern governors have faulted the resolution by their Southern colleagues for the presidency to return to the zone in 2023, describing the demand as unconstitutional.
The Southern Governors Forum had at its recent meetings in Enugu and Lagos, argued that it is necessary for the position of the President to shift to the South in 2023 for the sake of decency, justice and equity. At the Lagos meeting, the governors specifically asked all the major political parties to field politicians from the South as their presidential candidates as they did in 1999.
Ondo state governor and chairman of the Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, who read the communiqué on behalf of his colleagues, said: “The Southern Governors Forum re-affirm its commitment to the unity of Nigeria on the pillars of equity, fairness, justice, progress and peaceful co-existence between and among its people.
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness and unanimously agrees that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between Southern and Northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the Southern Region”.
But in their meeting with leading Emirs and Chiefs in the North on Monday, September 27, 2021, the Northern governors frowned at the demand by their southern counterparts, stressing that it runs counter to the 1999 Constitution (as amended). In a communique read by the chairman of the Forum and Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, the governors said; “ the Forum unanimously condemn the statement by the Southern Governors Forum that the Presidency must go to the South. The statement is quite contradictory with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended that the elected President shall:- score the majority votes; score at least 25% of the votes cast in 2/3 States of the Federation”.
The governors also faulted the position of the southern governors on state collection of Value Added Tax (VAT, arguing that vesting such authority on the states would amount to double taxation to the consumer, since VAT is a consumer tax. The VAT issue is currently before the Supreme Court. The Forum also commented on other issues affecting the North and the country in general.