A former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has faulted the rotational presidency in Nigeria.
Sowore, in an appearance on the Tuesday edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, says the country should be interested in a president who will run Nigeria better, irrespective of his region.
“If I have a good president in Nigeria, who can run this country very well, I don’t care where he comes from,” Sowore said.
“That is what the majority of the Nigerian people are aspiring for. That is the idea of this federation that all the federating units should be able to have an opportunity.
“When you zone it to the north, the majority of the northerners would want to take a shot at it. When you zone it back to the south, the south of Nigeria is not Yoruba or Igbo alone. It is just senseless.”
According to Sowore, every presidential hopeful should be given a chance irrespective of their region.
In doing this, he explained that certain parameters like qualifications, manifestos, among others, should be considered, rather than the person’s geo-political zone.
“Zoning the presidency to the worst character in the country is not going to make you get anywhere.
“Give everybody a chance. That is why they said, ‘Come and contest for president, governor, local government chairman, and present your agenda, speak to us, and we will look at your character, exposure, and vote for you’.”
The issue of rotational presidency has been a burning topic recently, with power brokers believing that the presidency should be retained in the country’s southern region.
Incumbent President Bola Tinubu, a Southerner from Lagos State, swept to power in the 2023 general polls.
He succeeded former President Muhammadu Buhari, from Katsina State in the northern region, who completed the constitutionally mandated eight years in office.
While many believe the South still has another term, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a Northerner from Adamawa State, is eyeing the nation’s top job.
He, alongside other opposition leaders, has repeatedly called for a coalition to end the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.
