Former Governor of Zamfara State Sani Yarima has vowed to grant the Southeast their long time ambition of ruling the country, on the condition they support his presidential ambition ahead of the 2023 general elections.
To prove his commitment to his promise, Yerima said he will pick an Igbo man as his Vice President if the South-East assure him of their unwavering supports.
Yerima made the promise at an award ceremony for graduating students of the Freedom University Theological Seminary in Owerri, Imo, last year, where he was accompanied by his State campaign cordinator, Vitalis Ajumbe.
“This is an Igbo project,” the ex-governor said. “If you support me, I will make history by raising the hand of an Igbo man as President of Nigeria, I will end marginalisation in the zone.”
He called on the Federal Government to give Igbos a sense of belonging in the country, saying it would reduce tensions from and agitations by several Igbo pressure group.
‘Igbos must not be marginalised in Nigeria. The problem of Igbo in Nigeria is that they are being marginalised. If they are not marginalised, you will not be hearing of Biafra or any other groups,’ he stated.
Senator Yerima who is well known for introduction of the Sharia legal system in Zamfara State during his time as governor in 1999, has previously said in response to a question in an interview with Daily Trust, that as a Nigerian, he is not only qualified, but also capable of leading the country if elected president in 2023.
Asked why he wants to become president despite the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari, being from the North-West, he replied, “I don’t believe in regionalism, saying that this man is from this side or that. Let’s have the best people who have much more better things to offer to Nigerians.
“Everybody should come up with what they want to do for Nigerians and how they want to move Nigeria forward. The contributions you want to make and such a person should be assessed by Nigerians whether he or she should be elected or not.
“It is not from where you come from and not your religion. As far as I am concerned, you should look at individuals as Nigerians otherwise we should ask for rotation of presidency in the constitution.
“If we are looking at regions, North-West has done, let’s go to South-South; which means anybody whether he is good or not but once determined by that zone should be elected.
“If it is not determined by constitutional arrangement, every Nigerian should aspire to be in elective position of government.”
On insinuations that President Buhari signed a pact with the National Leader of the Party (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to hand over to him in 2023, the former Zamfara State Governor said President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu are free to make deals and even sign it with pens made of gold, but that does not mean they own the country.
He said, “I don’t think Nigeria belongs to any of them and I don’t think anyone in any position can determine what Nigeria should have.
“Politics is about election – for people to decide what they want. So it is the majority of the people that will determine who they want.
“If he signed an agreement with Asiwaju, that agreement cannot be implemented even in getting the ticket. It cannot guarantee Asiwaju a ticket.”
