2007 Presidency
Northern Leaders Meet in Sokoto to Strategise
Atiku, IBB, Marwa expected
From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Political leaders from the North including Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former President Shehu Shagari, former heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon, and Ibrahim Babangida, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), chairman Chief Sunday Awoniyi, among others will on September 11 gather in Sokoto,
to strategise on how to ensure the area produced the next president in 2007.
Also expected at the meeting organised by the Northern Senators Forum are former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon Lar, former military administrator of Lagos State, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) among others.
The meeting is also expected to deliberate on the state of the north within the polity since the inception of the Fourth Republic five years ago.
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Usman Albishir (ANPP, Yobe), who disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen yesterday noted that "the north is lagging behind and we have identified that the way we can halt this is to bury our differences and come together as one north"
Albishir, also said that the issue of how to secure the presidential slot for the region in 2007 is part of the agenda of the meeting noted that, "for now, it is difficult to say who among those aspiring in the north would be the candidate, or where to zone the ticket to among the geo-political zones. If we zero it on individuals, there would be problem. This is part of our agenda," he said.
When reminded that Babangida has said that only God can decide his future, the minority leader said the former military president's position is "absolutely his opinion."
"The North-east geo-political zone is also begging other parts of the North to give us the ticket because the North-west has produced a sizable number of the former leaders," he said, but added that, "the North is looking beyond the current people" who are seeking to be president.
He canvassed that "people should where possible have a common candidate. We would sit down and work out how to stop all the balkernisation of the North like people coming up to say the Middle Belt and all that. There is nothing like the Middle Belt notwithstanding where you come from, the North is one."
Albishir said the Sokoto meeting would cut across ethnic and political divides. He advised the advocates of "No Vacancy in Aso Rock" slogan to stop canvassing the extension of the term of President Olusegun Obasanjo and urged Nigerians to "ensure that democracy flourish again so that we don't become a pariah nation again."
Atiku, Babangida and Marwa are believed to be interested in contesting the 2007 presidency. Although none of them has formally declared for the race, different groups of supporters have been campaigning for them.
Meanwhile, Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has described the creation of six geo-political zones in the country as a device by "enemies" of the North to divide the region and cause disaffection among its people.
He, however, urged Norther-ners, particularly the leaders, to disregard such zoning system which, according to him, was unconstitutional, and charged them "to close ranks, under due umbrella" for the overall growth and development of the region.
Bafarawa who was speaking during a courtesy call on Governor Ahmadu Adamu Mu'azu at the Government House, Bauchi yesterday as part of activities lined up for his two-day visit to the state added that "we should not allow politicians to divide the unity of the North with the so-called geo-political zoning system, as it is meant to achieve certain selfish objectives to the detriment of a collective North."
According to him, "if we are united, the sky is our limit. Therefore, my appeal here is that the governors and political leaders in the region have a big task ahead of us to unite the region irrespective of our political party affiliations or ethno-religious background towards ensuring the socio-economic and political development of the Northern region."
The governor who led a large delegation to the state said they "were in Bauchi on a thank-you mission on the special role played by the Bauchi State government during this year's bicentinary anniversary of the Sokoto Caliphate held recently." He added that "we have come personally to thank you for your financial and moral support given to us during the bi-centenary celebrations which contributed in making the occasion colourful."
In his remarks, Mu'azu stated that government is not a commercial enterprise, as most Nigerian politicians often view it. "It is service to God, humanity and indeed service to mankind," he added.
He said "anybody not willing to serve should please resist the temptation to go into government because it is not a place to make money but a place where you make sacrifice."
According to him, "I have to keep on going because I do know what has not been done for years for the people of Bauchi State, God sent me to do it for them now, and I am so afraid that after I leave government, one of the greatest prayers I'm doing, that may God never give us anybody who will come to the state after me that will not do something similar or better than I have done."
Commenting on the zoning system in the country, he said that "all the various divides that have been brought by mediocres for them to take undue advantage must be removed by us, be it tribal, ethnic, regional or religion."
The governor then appealed to Nigerians to continue to forge ahead in unity because, "there is strength in diversity if we take advantage of God's purpose for us in Nigeria as a nation."
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