The Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, without further delay, call the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai to order.
The Yoruba elders pointed out that the campaign by the north to contest the 2023 presidency with the South will plunge the country into a major crisis.
It said there should be no controversy over 2023, adding that it is the South’s turn in 2023 to takeover power.
YCE, scribe, Dr Kunle Olajide warned that Northern politicians must not make careless statements or remarks that can plunge Nigeria into crisis since Nigeria is a fragile country, and presently tottering and bleeding.
“Buhari should call APC members to order over 2023. He should call his party members to order. Buhari should call Governor el-Rufai to order. These people are not only distracting Buhari, but they are also disturbing the peace of Nigeria,” he was quoted by Sun.
“There should be no controversy over 2023. It is the South’s turn in 2023. Zoning is sacrosanct, and el-Rufai, Tofa and these groups from the North calling for the scrapping of zoning in 2023 are not only greedy and unpatriotic, but they are also enemies of Nigeria. They want to derail Nigeria. Northern leaders and elders should call el-Rufai, and Tofa to order.
“Nigeria is a fragile country, and presently the country is tottering and bleeding, politicians have to watch it. They must not make careless statements or remarks that can plunge Nigeria into crisis.
“This is what el-Rufai, Tofa and others calling for the scrapping of zoning are doing. If they truly love Nigeria, they should stop making inflammatory statements. They should not allow their personal interests and greed to put Nigeria’s unity in jeopardy.
“Nigeria is already deeply divided, and scrapping zoning is like inviting anarchy. Scrapping zoning will create further division among Nigerians.
“The present zoning arrangement should not be tinkered with. Scrapping zoning will have grave consequences for Nigeria.
“For Tofa and el-Rufai to say that zoning is dead or should be scrapped when it is supposed to be the turn of the South in 2023 is an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians, and it is not acceptable.
“I believe that Gov. el-Rufai is just testing the waters by saying that zoning should be scrapped, and perhaps he is doing that because of the rumoured reports that he has presidential ambition in 2023, but if he has that ambition, he should just drop or forget it because by now his eyes should be clear that he and others in their group in the North who also have same interest will be resisted.
“Why must el-Rufai, Tofa and others in the North be calling for the scrapping of zoning in 2023 when it is supposed to be the turn of the South? This is why I said earlier that some of these politicians are greedy and very unpatriotic. They don’t think of Nigeria first. They are selfish and self-centred.
“Then again, Tofa and el-Rufai should not think there is one monolithic North again. The North is divided now and you can see that the people of the Middle Belt are already saying that they are no longer part of the North.
“For me, I believe that all these jostling for power at the centre will stop if Nigeria is restructured. If we return to a true practice of federalism like it was done in the First Republic, all these struggles for power at the centre will stop.
“Not only that, restructuring will also put an end to all the present socio-economic woes facing Nigeria. This is what I expect all these elements in the North and APC talking about scrapping zoning in 2023 to tell President Muhammadu Buhari to do.
“If Buhari truly loves Nigeria and also shares the same vision and ideals with the founding fathers of Nigeria, he should take the issue of restructuring serious, and ensure that he does it before the expiration of his second term.”
