2023: Muslim clerics, CAN, PFN, others attack APC, PDP on zoning

Muslim and Christian leaders yesterday threw their weight behind the South producing President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, next year, and warned leading political parties against ceding their presidential tickets to the North.

Specifically, the leadership of the Supreme Council of Islamic Preachers in Nigeria said that a Nigerian president of southern extraction in 2023 is not negotiable.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, shared the views of the Islamic preachers, adding that there was no going back on a Southern and Christian president in 2023.

The religious leaders spoke as the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, yesterday warned leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the main opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, against zoning their presidential tickets to the North.

The SMBLF, in a joint statement by Chief Edwin Clark, National Leader, PANDEF and Chairman, SMBLF; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere leader; President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Professor George Obiozor, Dr Bitrus Pogu, National President, Middle Belt Forum, MBF, warned that burying zoning amounted to burying Nigeria.

The religious and ethnic nationalities/regional leaders spoke against the backdrop of alleged plots by some leaders of the APC and PDP to cede their 2023 presidential tickets to the North.

After zoning their national chairmanship slots to the North, with northerners emerging as national chairmen of both parties, the leading parties have been foot-dragging on zoning the presidency to the South.

The Northern Elders Forum, weekend, clamoured for the presidency to be thrown open to all parts of the country.

APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on Friday said the party had not taken a decision on zoning and did not disclose when the party would do so. With the APC National Executive Committee, NEC, ceding its powers to the National Working Committee for 90 days, the Senator Adamu-led NWC has the power to zone APC’s offices...

Credit: Vanguard Newspaper