As Nigerian politicians jostle over who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, an elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, has urged politicians from the North to drop their ambitions for the position.
According to him, it is unjust for power to still remain in Northern Nigeria in 2023, after a leader from the region has failed to achieve any meaningful achievements in the last six years to warrant the North retaining the position.
He said that justice demands that the South should be allowed to produce the next president of the country in 2023.
Prominent northerners eying Buhari’s seat in 2023 include the likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; and a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
But responding to the development, Yakasai asked, “How can it be that it is always us the Northerners that will rule? There is no justice in this matter, we rule, they (South) rules, that is justice.
”I am wondering what the northerners will say to the people? What will they show to the citizens of Nigeria that they benefited or will benefit in order for them to give their votes?
”In the six to seven years, what have the northerners done? What achievement has the leadership accomplished that helped in the development of the country, its economy or any other development that helps the people?
”What major achievement do the northerners have that they can use to call upon all other Nigerians to give them votes again?”
Noting that his interest in politics from the beginning had always been about justice, Yakasai said that his support for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, was to make sure Nigeria went with the method of letting any president run his second tenure after his first.
According to the elder statesman, if the first four years of the tenure are not enough for the president to accomplish his goals, the eight years may be enough if he has plans on how to accomplish them.