A former member of the House of Representatives and Senator representing Kano Central, Rufai Hanga, has told the North to shelve the idea of remaining in power after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
According to him, the power should return to the South and precisely, the Southwest because they will turn things around, adding that it is not because of their (Southwest) loyalty to the North, but because they have done it before and we have seen it.
The Kano-born politician also said that Igbo cannot produce next president by threats, adding that the South East and South South have little or no chance at all.
He said “To me, I wouldn’t want to say that power should remain in the North or rotate to the South, ” he told Sun.
“To me, if I were to be candid, I will rather say power should to go to the South because it is safer and more dignifying for Nigerian politicians.
“At the beginning of the present democratic dispensation, we promised zoning. The South had it, the North had it, the South should have it next.
“That one I am comfortable with. Whether it is suitable or not, that is a different question. For me, I will rather want it to go round.
“That is why I felt we should start from somewhere and begin to search for competence.
“We should give it a trial so that everything will not boil down to ethnic politics. Left for me, I will support the Southwest.
“But if I do that, people will begin to say it is selfishness because I am close to this man or that man. For me, based on competence, I will want someone from that zone to be the next man because I know they will turn things around.
“If given to them, I know they will turn things around. I am doing this for myself or anybody, but for Nigeria. If you want to change things in Nigeria, give it to them. With those I have in mind, I am sure they will turn things around. Nigeria will be better for it. I believe so. But if another person has it, so be it.
“It is not because of their loyalty to the North, it is because they are Nigerians. Two, they have done it and we have seen it.
“Tell me anywhere else in this country that is transformed to the best place in Africa other than Southwest. No other section of this country did it than the Southwest.
“We started together, and each region was ruling itself. Which region can boast of the best performer other than the Southwest?
“That is why I believe if you get a South westerner, he will do for Nigeria what they did for Southwest. I am not saying this because of their loyalty to the North, I am saying because of their competence.
“This man is competent, he can do it is different from this man is competent he has done it before.
“That I have heard from the section 15 to 20 years. And like I said, we just cannot do things in a particular way because someone has threatened this or that.
“If some applicants come to you for interview and one of them says, if you don’t employ me, your company will crash down, another person says to you, employ me, I will do what I did for the other company to grow and the third one says, try me, I will do my best and you will certainly be happy that you have tried me, who among the three would you employ?
“The most assuring is that applicant than that says, ‘I have done it, and I can do it again.’ That I will do it is different from I have done it before.
“The one threatening to scatter everything already had his fate sealed. One man cannot come and say it is either me or never. It is impossible. This is 21st Century; nobody can threaten anybody that rain will fall. Nothing will happen.
“With Southwest alliance with the Northwest, it is a sure banker the Southwest will get it. Whether they score 2/3 majority or not, they will still get it because when there is no clear winner, there will be a rerun.
“When there is a rerun, what they need to win is simple majority. And where is the majority coming from? Northwest and Southwest. Volume of votes from Kano alone is almost equivalent of votes for about seven or eight states from Southeast or South-south.
“The voting strength from Southwest alone is equivalent of the votes from eight states in the Southeast and South-south. With Southwest and Northwest, I don’t think there is anything that will stop them from getting the president.
“They will have total grip of the Northwest. If they form a strong alliance with the Northwest, I think they may make it. But how do you think they can make it with that alliance?
“Who and who from Southeast will penetrate the North to come and make such alliance? I think the Southwest came early to the Northwest even though they still have some areas they have not touched and which they need to touch. If the Southeast is smart enough to go and tap into these areas, I am sure they will make it.”
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