Group says North Central should produce president in 2023 for equity, justice

The North Central Coalition Initiative, has said that for the sake of equity and justice, the zone deserves to produce the country’s next president in 2023.

Sen. Philip Gyunka, spokesman of the Coalition, said this at a news conference with the theme: “Rebooting, Redeeming, Restoring Nigeria to Her Glory”, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He noted that the zone has never produced a democratically elected President or Vice president for the country since the inception of democracy.

“We desire to build a nation poised for development through the entrenchment of democratic institutions,” he said.

He added that this could only be achieved through inclusiveness in politics and the equitable involvement in the political process of all Nigerians.

According to Gyunka, the North-central geopolitical zone provided the enabling environment for political re-engineering of the country’s political system and national cohesion and had remained the fulcrum that held the country together.

He recalled that the leadership provided by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, saw to the amicable resolution of political crisis that engulfed the country and the eventual end of the civil war.

The group’s spokesman added that in the same vein, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, created the enabling environment for power to be returned to the South West, with Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo emerging as the democratically-elected president in 1999.

He added that despite all these, the north central geopolitical zone had suffered so much injustice.

Gyunka said the political victim status of the zone would make any president from it dispense justice equitably and ensure that there were no second-class citizens in the country.

“We strongly believe that for Nigeria to survive as a political entity and witness rapid development, there must be good leadership in place.

“North Central geopolitical zone is strategically positioned to provide the much-deserved political leadership for Nigeria,” he said.

He noted that many political leaders from the north central were the architects of the tenets of democracy in legislative craftsmanship, while serving in the National Assembly.

He said that despite being marginalised politically, the north central has continued to play the role of mediators during crisis situations in Nigeria.

He expressed belief that for Nigeria to be rescued from the brink, focus must be on the north central zone, stressing that the next president of the country should come from the zone.

He said the zone, with capable leaders, is strategically positioned to provide the much-deserved political leadership for the country. (NAN)