2019: "Southerners should keep off presidential contest"

Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Roland Owie, has dismissed the 2019 presidential aspiration of Southern politicians, saying it was against the order of natural justice.


Owie, who is the chairman of the National Contact Committee of Action Democratic Party, ADP, in a statement, said that the principle of rotation between the North and South was based on natural justice which he said should not be violated at this time.

He said: “It is unfortunate that very many of our Southern politicians are very naive and shallow. Some years ago, Nigerians agreed, at least as a convention, that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between North and South.

“It started in 1999. The South took the first shot through President Olusegun Obasanjo 1999-2007. The North took over with President Umaru Yar`Adua but unfortunately Yar`Adua died and President Goodluck Jonathan took over.

“If we calculate from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2019, the South would have produced the President of Nigeria for a total of 14 years and 240 days, while the North would have had the presidency for five years and 339 days.

“So from May 29, 2019, the North still has eight years of presidency.  Where there is no justice, there can never be peace.  For justice and peace to reign, presidency should be zoned to the North and Vice-President to South East, and when North completes her tenure in 2027 then Presidency goes to the South East.”