Ndume opposes north producing President in 2023

Backs use of mercenaries to fight terrorists

Senate Committee Chairman on Army, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has kicked against the idea of the North producing the country’s President in 2023.

Speaking at a roundtable organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Ndume urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pick its presidential candidate from southern Nigeria.

The APC senator, representing Borno South, said it would be against the party’s constitution for the north to produce the party’s next presidential candidate; hence in the spirit of fairness, justice and equity, any part of the country’s south should produce APC’s candidate.

According to him, any attempt to zone the party’s presidential ticket to the north would amount to third term after President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in office.

Ndume advised the South East to forget about secession, if it wants to lead the country. His words: “That is what is creating the rumour for the northerners to even say they want to be President again. If you want to be President of Nigeria, you must believe in the unity of Nigeria. I support the APC candidate coming anywhere from the south.”

HOWEVER, he supported the call for the deployment of mercenaries to fight terrorists. The idea of hiring mercenaries to fight Boko Haram was mooted by governors of North East states last December.

Ndume sees nothing wrong in the Federal Government hiring special forces from foreign countries to help combat insecurity. Lamenting that troops at the warfront were ill-equipped to combat the terrorists, the lawmaker called on the government to arm the military to fight insecurity.