- * Urges Political Parties To Zone Their Presidential Slot To The South East
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
A coalition of 30 northern civil society groups, Arewa Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (ACCSON), on Monday, threw their weight behind the presidential aspiration of former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
The group in a world press conference held at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Monday December 6, 2021, resolved that Senator Anyim who they described as "a bridge builder", is the choice of the youths of the northern region of Nigeria for the 2023 Presidency.
The coalition in their statement read at the press conference by their spokesperson, Comrade Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem, affirms that their choice of Anyim for the nation's top job was devoid of party affiliations, and moreso born out of the fact that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) is a man with rich leadership experience from the three arms of government (the executive, legislature and Judiciary). Senator Anyim, according to the Arewa youth coalition, "remains the best for the region (North) and for the nation".
The youths however endorsed, once again, the existing principle of power rotation between the North and the South regions of Nigeria, as a way of consolidating the unity and oneness of the Nigerian Federation.
To this end, they vigorously canvassed that the South East geo-political zone of the country which they observed has not been given the opportunity and support since the inception of the current democratic dispensation in 1999 to produce a president for Nigeria, should be supported by other geo-political zones to produce a president for Nigeria in the interest of equity and fairness.
The Arewa Youths Coalition body also argued that the seeming absence of political and sundry equity in power rotation in Nigeria has substantially contributed to the intractable agitations across the country by most pro-separatist groups like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by detained Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; the Sunday Igboho led Yoruba nation self determination group and other such groups across the country.
In other to douse such agitations, however, the Arewa Youths Coalition enjoined all the existing political parties in the country, to, as a matter of deliberate party policy, zone the 2023 presidential slots of their political organizations specifically to the South East zone of Nigeria, as was done for the South West zone in 1998/99 by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Peoples Party (APP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD). They stated that the coalition is presenting Senator Anyim Pius Anyim as the candidate of the northern youth umbrella body for the position of President.
The Arewa youth coalition stated thus in their press conference: "...On 23rd of March 2021, over 30 Civil Society Organizations of Northern Extraction met at Mallam Aminu Kano Center for Democratic Research Mambayya House Kano State on way forward and the Unity of our nation.
"We x-rayed the current happenings; which includes unity in diversity, rotational presidency, insecurity, youth unemployment, youth inclusiveness in governance among others.
"The leadership of various organizations at that sitting supported a one Nigerian project. We realize that only two regions out of the six geo political regions have not occupied either President or vice-President seat since 1999 till date, which is unfair and against any democratic standard worldwide.
"For instance; between 1999 to 2007, it was South West and North East, and between 2007 to 2015 it was between North West, South South and North West while between 2015 till date it is between North West and South West!
"The South East for instance, are part and parcel of the Nigerian project from day one till date; and, they should be treated fairly just like other zones of the country. They too deserve to get what others have gotten, because they have paid their dues in terms of contributions and consolidation of Nigeria.
"The region is being captured in all other sectors of the Nigerian economy based on federal character from 1999 till date, but are denied either of the two positions mentioned earlier.
"Going by the above facts it's now clear to us as progressives, that the political elites are against the unity of Nigeria. We the Youths are the future and hope of the Nation as well as critical stakeholders in nation building. In consideration of our population, we will henceforth cease to be spectators.
"Rather we have decided to be part of the process from mobilizing/sensitizing youths from our region to get their voters card to the point of telling them who to vote for during elections. We will defend the unity of Nigeria, which is non-negotiable. For now, this is only achievable by a rotation of the presidency. You can also call this periodic power shifts.
"With the rotation of the presidency, we believe strongly that all these agitations for separation will stop not only in the south East but in other regions since the essence is to quench marginalization and promote unity, brotherhood and pan Nigerian sentiments.
"Consequently, we hereby urge all political parties to zone their presidential ticket to the South East for justice, equity and fairness.
"Further to the above, we hereby present a bridge builder to the entire youths of Northern extraction, as our candidate for 2023 presidency based on the following:
"Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is an accomplished statesman, a legal professional, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly.
"He is a detribalized Nigerian who has good intentions for the Youths and our region. As a former Senate President, history has it that before his emergence as the President of the Senate, the Senate was a troubled institution. His emergence helped to bring to an end all forms of crisis rocking the senate. This was achieved because he introduced inclusiveness in all the activities of the red chamber.
"As a Secretary to the Government of the Federation he helped the Jonathan administration to stabilized the administration and the Nigerian economy through numerous projects that are visible and useful to our region and the nation at large.
"As the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, he ensured there was a good relationship between the executive and the legislature. He has friends, colleagues and political associates across the 109 senatorial districts of the country.
"Senator Anyim should be our presidential candidate irrespective of party affiliations as history will judge our actions today.
"Finally, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim remains the best for the region and the nation and he has been someone who has full knowledge of Governance from the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Arms, which remains first of it kind in the history of our nation".
The Arewa Civil Society Organisations that met in Kaduna to endorse Senator Anyim include: the Arewa Youth Assembly; Arewa Students Forum; Concerned Northern Forum; North East Peace Movement; Arewa Youth Council; Northern Youth Assembly; Northern Women Initiative Forum; North East Development Council; North Central Grassroots Foundation; Arewa Female Youth Ambassadors Initiative; Initiative of Youth Advocate on Humanitarian Affairs; Arewa Youth Movement; Tiv Youth Initiative for Peace; Middle Belt Vanguard; Northern Youth Network; etc.
Meanwhile, the former chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Yaro Makama Rigachikun, while inaugurating the Arewa Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (ACCSON), said the northern region of Nigeria cherish and respect the principles of justice, equity and fairness. He therefore stated that unity, peace and progress of Nigeria will depend on how well the nation continue to respect these principles. The office of the President of Nigeria, he said, is a "very important office because the general well-being of our country depends on who occupies it".
Rigachikun who said he was delighted and privileged to inaugurate the Arewa Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (ACCSON) Support Group for Senator Anyim Pius Anyim for President in 2023, however warned that Nigeria must be careful in choosing who becomes the president of the country come 2023.
"The president of Nigeria we need in 2023 must be a man of integrity and capacity with proven knowledge of how government works. He must be a man who believes in one Nigeria and has demonstrated that by how he relates with people from every part of this country. We need a man who will build bridges of friendship and togetherness.
"We need a tried and tested consensus builder to bring Nigeria back together as one united and indivisible country. We need a man who is competent and has proved his competence from the services he has rendered to our country in various capacities.
"I have looked around among all the people who have openly declared their intention to run for office of president, including those whose intentions are still in the realm of speculations and rumour, I have not seen anybody as suitable as Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim.
"I have known Senator Anyim for many years and I can tell you, with every conviction, that he is the man we are looking for. With Anyim as President, Nigeria will be more united and prosperous.
"I therefore urge you the Youth, men and women of goodwill to go out to your various communities and towns and spread the good news that the right man to be president of Nigeria come 2023 is Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. May God Almighty help our country to be great again", Rigachikun stated. NNL.
