CNG tackles Southern governors on zoning, backs Northern presidency

Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has come down hard on Southern governors over rotational presidency, saying the political race should be thrown open for qualified Nigerians to contest in 2023.

The coalition also resolved to expose “northern traitors” who had been paid handsomely to market Southern candidates.

CNG Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, told journalists in Abuja yesterday: “Since democracy everywhere is a game of numbers, under no circumstance will the North succumb to intimidation, blackmail or threat from any quarter to abandon its collective franchise by not seeking the presidency in 2023 or any time in the future.

“Against the backdrop of these concerns and observations, the CNG does not wish to remain silent or passive and allow things that affect the North and potentially cause greater democratic instability in the country to continue unchecked. In the unfolding political chess game, therefore, it is essential that the North anticipates and checkmates the manoeuvres of the South in all possible and likely scenarios, and obtain ascendency over the voices of threat, intimidation and blackmail from the South.”

According to the group, the presumably northern majority will never accept any presidential candidate, who is the product of an undemocratic zoning process from whichever party. It, however, called the Northern public to get prepared and sensitised to hold any political party, which attempts to deny northerners the right to contest the presidency, as enemy of the North.

It pointed out that no conspiracy in whatever form would stop the North from fielding a Northerner for the presidency in the PDP in 2023, irrespective of its recent body language that tends to block a Northern candidacy by quickly zoning the national chairmanship position to the North.

“The North shall definitely seek the presidential ticket, even if it holds the national chairmanship,” it added.