Political Parties Urged to Promote National Unity By Having Faith in Power Rotation Principle
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu
Nigeria’s political parties have been urged to abide by the principle of power sharing between northern and southern sections of the country in order to foster peace, unity, equity, and inclusiveness.
Former Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, gave the advice in a chat with journalists at Eke ward in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, during the flag-off of the e-registration of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said that adhering to power rotation principle would eliminate the fractious power struggle that ensues between North and South at every election cycle, which fosters distrust and divisiveness.
The party chieftain, however, pointed out that though power rotation or zoning arrangement is not a statute, it is a convention that works only if those involved have faith in it.
He insisted that Nigeria’s democratic growth would be enhanced and sustained if power rotation was adopted and even institutionalised.
Okechukwu stated that since the presidency currently resides in the South through his party, APC, northern politicians should bottle up their presidential ambitions and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do a second term in office.
“In the interest of peace and unity, we are pleading to all Nigerians, both North and South, that we, the APC, with the Presidency, we’ll finish it in 2031. It will then be the turn of the North. Anybody who is in the North can then contest,” he said.
The former VON DG frowned at the political signals being emitted from the camp of the opposition coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), noting that the party’s body language indicates that it would give its 2027 presidential ticket to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He denounced such a move, saying that Atiku’s ambition and anti-power rotation posture of ADC both undermine Nigeria’s unity and should be condemned by all sincere patriots.
According to him, apart from fostering peace and unity, power rotation also promotes equity and sense of belonging hence based on good faith, political actors should place the unity of their country above personal ambitions.
However, Okechukwu pointed out that APC would not be overly bothered by whoever ADC eventually decided to give its presidential ticket as the coalition has nothing superior to what the ruling party already possesses.
“If you take the ADC for example, their presumed presidential flag bearer, His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, I have great respect for him, but if you look at his antecedents, we do not know what he is going to present that is better than what Tinubu is presenting,” said the APC chieftain.
He noted that Nigerians already know that the political leaders promoting ADC were the same people that caused the crisis that has torn the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into shreds by not observing the power rotation arrangement.
“The PDP under Section 7 is the only political party that has rotation in this constitution. And these gentlemen that are today in ADC breached it, as they don’t have good faith,” Okechukwu said.
He wondered if PDP would survive the havoc wrecked by its erstwhile members now in ADC, saying, “I do not know how PDP will recover and be as strong as it used to be.”
Okechukwu specially took a swipe at Atiku, saying that the ambition of the former vice president had always negated Nigeria’s unity due to his alleged serial breach of zoning principle even after he had benefited from it to become Nigeria’s VP in 1999.
He said, “In 2014, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar walked out of the PDP Convention because he accused the then President Jonathan that he was taking the turn of the North.
“In 2019, when the PDP conducted a primary in Port Harcourt, no Southern presidential aspirants contested in obedience to the Rotation Convention. And he won, and was the PDP presidential candidate in 2019.
“In 2023, when it was the turn of the South, he still insisted he must run for Presidency. And that was why, both in the North and in the South, the patriots of the country said they wouldn’t vote for PDP for that election because they believe that the Rotation/Zoning Convention is for unity, fairness, equity, and sense of belonging.”
Okechukwu therefore advised that Nigeria should emulate Switzerland that adopted the power rotation principle in 1848 and institutionalised it, adding that it has since engendered political stability and development in that country.
On the recent endorsement of President Tinubu’s second term bid by party leaders and stakeholders of South-east, the former VON DG explained that the endorsement was anchored on the fact that Mr. President’s reforms and economic policies resonate with the zone.
“We agreed that we are endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because we are hardworking people and we know that his reform programme will favour those who work hard,” he said.
