Northern coalition rejects zoning of 2023 presidency

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) on Monday warned the All Progressive Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and other political parties in the country against zoning their presidential tickets in 2023.

The spokesman for the coalition, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, who addressed journalists at a media briefing in Abuja, stressed that any attempts to block the North from fielding candidates in 2023 would be resisted by people of the region.

He described as unacceptable the move by the Southern Governors’ Forum and other leaders from the region to force power shift on the rest of the country.

The CNG position came just a few days after the Northern governors publicly rejected their Southern counterparts demand for power shift in two years time.

Suleiman said: “Since democracy everywhere is a game of numbers, under no circumstance will the North succumb to intimidation, blackmail or threat from any quarter to abandon its collective franchise by not seeking the presidency in 2023 or any time in the future.

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“The Northern population which is in the clear majority will never accept any presidential candidate who is the product of an undemocratic zoning process from whichever party.

“Call the attention of the Northern public to get prepared and sensitized to hold any political party, by whatever name it is called that attempts to deny northerners the right to contest the presidency as an enemy of the region.

“To warn any political party that takes any step to block the window for the possible emergence of a northern presidential candidate shall be roundly rejected by the North.”

“The North shall definitely seek the presidential even if it holds the national chairmanship.

“We reiterate our call on Northern voters to mobilize against the sole concentration on party candidates and vote any credible, transparent, capable, and competent leaders.

“The CNG has resolved to expose the faces of identified unpatriotic Northern traitors who have been paid huge sums of money to market Southern candidates.”

“As we categorically reject anything to do with any undemocratic process such as zoning, we urge all Northerners to resist the antics and tactics of the self-appointed antagonists and hired cronies from the North who are today all over the place conscripted in the conspiracy to deceive northerners into abandoning what God has blessed us with; its human resources.”

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