“There is no pre-existing agreement on zoning the office of the President or any other office in Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.”
This affirmative statement came from the former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmad Sani and a chieftain of APC while he was speaking to journalists in Abuja.
He said Nigeria’s Constitution and the APC constitution does not have such an arrangement written in them therefore such an agreement even if it exists is not binding.
“You see, I don’t think there is anything like agreement. You can ask Mr President, he led the group, Asiwaju was there, I was part of it, there was no meeting I didn’t attend or any meeting that I attended that there was such agreement. The agreement can’t be verbal, it has to be written.
“In any case, any agreement that is contrary to the laws of this country is not an agreement.
“The Constitution is very clear as well as the Constitution of the political parties and the Electoral Act. We are in a democracy and democracy is governed by processes, procedures and bylaws.
So the Constitution of Nigeria doesn’t recognize anything called zoning and likewise, check APC Constitution.
“If there is that agreement why didn’t we put it in the Constitution? As a democrat, as a citizen of Nigeria, I can aspire based on the laws of Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Constitution has given rights and privilege to every citizen which believes he has something to offer to aspire for any office, irrespective of his state of origin, his tribe, ethnicity, religion; you have right, the Constitution has given us guarantee to participate in the political process,” he insisted.
Speaking on the insecurity in Nigeria especially in the Northern part of the country, Senator Sani said a carrots and Sticks approach would help.
“Initially I was in support of negotiations because I have seen that negotiations had worked in the Niger Delta issue.
“We got the amnesty programme which brought about peace in the Niger Delta. So anything that will bring peace and stability, I think it should be considered.
“However, the Governors should employ the carrot and stick approach, talking to them and where necessary, use military and police power to ensure that all those erring members of the indigents who refused to accept the agreement reached between them and government are brought to book.”
Suzan O
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