The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has reacted to remarks by the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu that there will be crisis if the All Progrossives Congress (APC) fails to zone its presidential ticket to the South, describing it as empty and irresponsible.
CNG’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a sharp reaction said the governor’s remark was as well a threat to the nation’s democracy.
According to him, the governor was just being mischievous and deceiving southerners on the issue of power rotation.
“Our reaction to this is as always that people like Akeredolu are being deliberately mischievous to deceive their people over the issue of power rotation to anywhere. They enjoy the unearned populism that comes from their gullible followers whenever they make that empty boast that power must shift to the South in 2023 or anytime in the near future.
“This one coming from Akeredolu represents an entirely new twist in the zoning drama by suggesting that the controversial zoning arrangement should also be extended to the APC. The APC has at no time either expressly or impliedly committed itself to zoning.
“This is something that every responsible member of the APC should know. The APC is not and cannot be bound by any agreement to rotate power between regions which it has never been a party to.
“Whatever the case, let me repeat here that the North would never give in to threats or blackmail to give up its democratic and constitutional prerogative to field candidates for every national election.
“Our position remains unchanged that the North will never respect any arrangement that tends to block northerners from contesting elections to the presidency.
“Such deliberate threats coming from southern leaders shall certainly not go unnoticed and in the fullness of time, they will be called to account for their incitement to crisis to achieve dubious personal political objectives, ” Suleiman said.
