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2007: Yoruba elders back Ndigbo
ALPHONSUS NWEZE,
Onitsha
YORUBA
Council of Elders (YCE), the influential body of Yoruba leaders, said it
supports the emergence of an Igbo as President in 2007.
The YCE said it took the decision at a
recent meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, adding that Yoruba youth groups
including the Oodua People�s Congress (OPC) have vowed to resist any move to
return power to the North in 2007.
Member of the YCE�s Central Working
Committee (CWC) and the body�s chairman in Kwara State, Senator Sulaiman Salawu
disclosed these Tuesday evening to newsmen shortly after a courtesy visit to the
president of Anambra State Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Mr.
Sylvester Odife in Onitsha.
Their backing for power to shift from the
South-West to the South-East is in the interest of fairness and equity, Senator
Salawu said.
He affirmed that under the principle of
fair power sharing, justice and equity, power cannot shift to the North in 2007.
Senator Salawu said power shift to the
North in 2007 negates the law of God in the Quoran.
"Sharia law prohibits injustice,
domination, oppression. If we allow power to shift to the North it is against
the law of God as in Quoran. Quoran does not compromise justice and fairness. If
a muslim compromises that, he should forget the Kingdom of God even if he sleeps
in the mosque," he said.
According to him, the speculated
presidential bid by former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida would
breed confusion.
"His entry into 2007 electioneering means
confusion. As somebody who has once ruled this country for nine years, in the
interest of the office he once swore to preserve the territorial integrity of
this country, he should steer clear of 2007. That is our plea for now," the
senator said.
He assured that as committed Awoists who
back a cause to the end, there is no going back in the campaign on the part of
YCE to ensure Ndigbo rule Nigeria in 2007.
Giving reasons why power must shift to the
South-East, Senator Salawu said that the North has ruled for 35 years out of 43
years of Nigeria�s independence, the Yorubas will have ruled for 12 years by the
end of 2007, while the South-East has not tasted such.
He recalled that from 1959 to date, the
East had conceded power to the North 1959 to 1964. (Tafawa Balewa�s era) 1979
and 1983 (Alhaji Shehu Shagari�s regime) and even allowed the North to clinch
the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential ticket in 2003, yet the North
had allegedly failed to appreciate the gestures and compensate the South East.
The YCE chieftain said that it will amount
to monumental injustice if power again shifts to the North after it had ruled
the country for 35 years even when the South-East has more competent and
talented hands.
Senator Salawu also said that YCE is not
doing any favour to the Igbo by supporting their 2007 but that they do not have
any alternative than to embark on the campaign.
He said "because we have decided to stay
as a nation and in the interest of the stability of that nation, power must
shift to the East."
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