2023: After Buhari, It’s Southern President Or Nothing

A former governor of Ekiti State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ayodele Fayose, has said that after the eight-year tenure of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, the next President must come from the South.

He said it must be a President from the South in 2023 or nothing, borrowing the now famous political slogan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “South Lo kan”, meaning it’s the turn of Southern Nigeria.

Fayose contested and lost the PDP presidential primary election in May. Not a few political watchers have expressed surprise about his sudden campaign for zoning of power to the South.

It was gathered that the former governor has an axe to grind with the PDP leadership and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over the just-concluded Ekiti State governorship election, in which his preferred candidate, Bisi Kolawole, lost.

Also, Fayose’s grouse might not be unconnected to the choice of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as Atiku’s running mate for the 2023 elections, at the expense his political ally and friend, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

Fayose, who took to his verified Twitter handle on Wednesday afternoon, said his agitation for Southern Presidency was supported by relevant sections of the PDP constitution, adding that Nigerians should await the details of his action soon.

He wrote: “The current President of Nigeria is a 2-term Northern Presidency, thus implying that it MUST be a Southern Presidency in 2023 or NOTHING. Awa “South’ lo kan’. Nigerians should await details soon.

“The PDP Constitution provides for a rotational Presidency. Section 3(c) provides that the Party shall pursue its aims & objectives by ‘adhering to the policy of the rotation & zoning of Party & Public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity,justice and fairness’.”