In what appears to be a reply to Southern leaders who told presidential aspirants from the North to leave the contest for Southern aspirants, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambual yesterday declared that Nigeria is currently in need of a national president, and not tribal or regional leader.
Governor Tambuwal made the statement when he visited Jigawa State as part of his nationwide consultation on his intention to vie for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket for the 2023 general election.
Addressing the Jigawa State PDP executives and other stakeholders at Sule Lamido’s residence in Bamaina town of the state, Governor Tambuwal expressed concern on the increase of disunity and the social, economic and security challenges facing Nigeria.
He said the country was in dire need of a competent and strong person who will give a consensus leadership, listen to advice from statesmen advice and make wider consultations to rescue the country from the brink of collapse that emanated from poor leadership.
Tambuwal urged PDP members across the country to come together to strengthen their unity, uphold their party’s principles of national patriotism to deter the merchants of ethnic, regional and other self-centred sentiments from destroying the country.
He informed the Jigawa State PDP stakeholders of his aspiration for their party’s presidential ticket come 2023 and solicited their support, advice and prayers.
In his speech, the former Jigawa State Governor and one of the PDP founding fathers, Sule Lamido, said those clamoring for the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South are very economical with the history of Nigeria’s democracy and its processes.
You are saying the presidency must be zoned to the South, who are you commanding? Who are you giving the order to?” He queried.
Lamido maintained that the era of choosing a Nigerian president through zoning is over and what Nigeria needs now is a national president who will be elected through democratic tenets.
Lamido explained that PDP introduced zoning in 1999 to address the crises and agitation that divided the country which began from the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections.
He added that the issue that necessitated zoning was over, and the formula must be deleted from Nigerian politics and replaced with correct democratic processes for sustainable democratic development.
Lamido also stated that democracy is a game of dialogue, consensus, and convincing others, and not intimidation or coercion.
He however described Tambuwal as qualified to contest for Nigeria’s president by all standards, advising him as former speaker of the Hose of Representatives to make nationwide consultations with regards to his ambition to become next Nigerian president.
