Southern senators back governors on power shift

Say decision will stop secessionist agitations
The senators from the southern part of the country have backed the governors from the region on their unanimous decision on rotational presidency, describing the measure as the best political arrangement that can unify the country and correct the fault lines.

Besides, the federal lawmakers opined that allowing the Presidency to rotate between the North and the South would naturally quell the secession agitations being propelled by some individuals and groups.

The Southern Senators’ Forum stated this in a statement, yesterday, in reaction to the position canvassed by Southern Governors’ Forum that Presidency must shift to the South in 2023.

The statement, signed by the Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum, Opeyemi Bamidele, commended the 17 governors superintending over the states from the South for this novel political decision.

“As much as we believe that competence and not regionalism should be the watchword in who becomes the President of any nation, we need to also be circumspect of our ethnic and political pluralities and think of the best way to further unite us.

“The events of the recent times where insecurity, secession agitations and others have further divided us and become one reality staring all of us in the face, we need to ruminate on how best to resolve these crises in the interest of our nation.

“Nigeria has never been this divided and the current parlous situation that has pushed our country to the verge of collapse necessitated the governors’ decisions and it shouldn’t be seen from the narrow spectrum that they were stoking the fire of disunity or promoting regionalism or ethnicity.

“Rotational Presidency will resolve most of the political problems and would naturally ward off secession agenda being promoted by some individuals and groups,” the statement stated.

The forum also condemned the practice of open grazing necessitating the destruction of farmlands and carnages due to unresolved crises between herders and farmers.

The senators posited that the governors thought rightly by placing bans on open grazing system of cattle rearing in their respective states via promulgation of anti-open grazing laws, saying the country must move with the tide of modernity.

“Nothing has torn this country apart and created cleavages like the farmers-herders’ clashes. The only constant thing in life is change and Nigeria has come of age to adopt ranching and jettison this obsolete open grazing practice.”