Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, former Kano State governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, says the zoning of political offices is not part of the constitution of the All Progressives Congress.
Shekarau stated this against the backdrop of claims by some APC chieftains that there is an existing agreement for power shift from the north to south.
But Shekarau, who spoke with journalists on Sunday in Kano said zoning of the presidential slot is that of the Peoples Democratic Party and not the APC.
“I want to tell you that there is no place in the APC constitution that the issue of zoning is mentioned. I think it is only considered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” he said.
The former governor, who is currently representing Kano Central in the Senate, said despite the non-existence of a written agreement on zoning, some persons have continued to clamour for it.
He argued that while retaining power in a particular region does not necessarily make the area superior or better off, common sense must prevail regarding the choice of the party’s presidential candidate for 2023.
Although Shekarau did not mention the region that should produce the APC’s presidential candidate in 2023, he said justice and fairness must be adhered to in taking a decision on the matter.
Shekarau said, “For me, I believe in the principle of balance equation and common sense. Although there is no place in our party where zoning is allowed unlike in the PDP where the zoning system is constitutional, ideally common sense should have guided APC in its selection.
“And those who want to kill themselves that one particular region should continue to maintain power should know that that will not make them better than other regions. For instance, in the last eight years the north has been in power, are we better than other parts of the country? The answer is no.”
The lawmaker also spoke about his relationship with the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and Rabiu Kwakwanso, his predecessor.
He said, “We have been together with Ganduje for so many years when I was a permanent secretary, cabinet office, then he was a commissioner. So, we interacted a lot.
“I want to assure you that our relationship has been cordial up to now. There is no problem between us.
“So, also with Kwankwaso, we have a good relationship. Our political differences will not affect our relationship. I never defected from one party to another because of him.
“When I was in APC, Kwankwaso joined the party, and I left. Not because of him, but the leadership of the party. The same thing when I was in PDP and left not because he joined the party.”