A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua created the confusion surrounding power rotation between the North and South in Nigeria.
Kwankwaso stated that zoning the 2027 presidential ticket to the South remained the most practical way to resolve the lingering debate over regional power sharing.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, the former Kano State governor defended the NDC’s decision to retain its presidential ticket in the South ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the controversy over zoning became more pronounced following Yar’Adua’s death in office in 2010.
“We believe the best way to go now is to take it to the South so that we can eliminate the confusion that emanated from the death of our brother and friend, Umar Musa Yar’Adua. That actually introduced confusion into the system,” Kwankwaso said.
Yar’Adua, who hailed from the North, died in May 2010 after a prolonged illness, ending his tenure before completing a full term in office. His deputy, former President Goodluck Jonathan from the South, subsequently completed the tenure and later won the 2011 presidential election.
Kwankwaso noted that interpretations of zoning arrangements often differed depending on political interests and perspectives.
“One can argue that from 1999 till date, the South has spent more years in power than the North. But it depends on how it suits you,” he stated.
He explained that members of the NDC resolved to calculate the zoning arrangement from the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“What worked now is counting from Buhari. Anybody from the South would say Buhari spent eight years and the South is now doing its first term. In another year or so, it will amount to four years,” he added.
Kwankwaso disclosed that northern political figures who recently joined the NDC accepted the party’s zoning decision in the interest of unity.
“Almost all of us joining from the North accepted it. There is no point fighting over it,” he said.
The former governor, however, stressed that the debate over zoning should not overshadow the need for competent leadership in the country.
“What is key now is not whether the president comes from the North or South. What is important is quality leadership people who are determined, committed and enthusiastic about moving the country forward,” he said.
Kwankwaso and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, formally joined the NDC on May 3 after leaving the African Democratic Congress amid internal disagreements.
At its national convention in Abuja, the party adopted the decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
