Yoruba group tasks APC, PDP, others on Igbo presidency in 2023

The Yoruba Ronu Forum, yesterday, appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other stakeholders to consider ceding the 2023 presidency to the South East region in the interest of peace, fairness, equity and justice.

In a statement issued by its National President, Akin Malaolu, the group said any option besides allowing the South East region to produce would not do the country any good.

It stressed that the country should hold a national dialogue where the issue of how Nigeria could be appropriately managed would be discussed instead of the present lopsided arrangement where some ethnic nationalities are being marginalised.

It specifically appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to drop what it described as “his Fulani paternalistic posture” which encourages injustice on all fronts.

“Such an attribute from a leader that is managing a weak diversity like ours can only create more insecurity problems from his attempt to stretch Fulani supremacy and inequality further. An end to this practice is important before other sections of the country start new agitations for their rights.

“From events and happenings in the country, we can summarise the situation among the southern nationalities and Middle Belt as that of refusing assimilation of the Fulani tendencies, which run counter to our models of moral due to different periods of civilisation and traditions,” the statement reads.

The group lamented that life had become too cheap and could be easily wasted, adding that Northern leaders still think that nothing bad could happen to the country if the killings continue due to their hegemonistic arrogance.

“We must confess also that the general suspicion in the South West is that of fear of what will happen if the presidency is tied down by the belief that the late Usman Dan Fodio owns the country for some outsiders or Fulani worldwide and that other ethnic groups cannot have access to the presidency without its blessings. This political anomaly and arrogant behavior must stop.

“We appeal to President Buhari to drop his Fulani ‘paternalistic’ posture that encourages injustice in all forms and on all fronts. Such an attribute from a leader who is managing a weak diversity like ours can only create more insecurity problems from his attempt to stretch Fulani supremacy and inequality further,” the statement added.