A South-South Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who was member of the South-South All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Paul Agbebia Obi has called on Nigeria’s voter population and political parties to exercise maturity needed to correct the “historical imbalance in Nigeria’s presidency,” saying that a northerner needs to be elected as president in 2019, and must occupy the presidency till 2027 as a way of balancing the political power equation between the north and south of the country.
While he explained that the period from 1999 to 2027 is a period of 28 years out of which Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan ruled for fourteen years, he noted that “it means that the north will have a balance of its leadership only by 2027.”
“A point of note is that Obasanjo and Jonathan already took fourteen years, however, if the north decides to continue with President Muhammadu Buhari, they would be constrained to the next four years only,” he said, adding that the implication of re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari is that there will be a shortfall of four years for the north since the Buhari presidency cannot last beyond the next four years, if he is elected in 2019.
“But if the north rallies round former Vice President Abubakar Atiku and ensures that he is elected president in 2019, the north will have a fresh eight-year tenure needed to provide the equity that will balance the power imbalance.
“It is therefore advisable that the north drops Buhari and replaces him with Abubakar Atiku who is a northerner that will be able to spend eight fresh years in power if elected in 2019,” he added.
Describing the idea as “the difficult truth which ought to shape northern Nigeria votes in 2019,” the APC Chieftain explained that President Olusegun Obasanjo spent eight years while former President Goodluck Jonathan spent six years, bringing the total number of democratic years in the south to fourteen.
He recalled that late President Umar Yaradua spent two years while incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari has spent four years, noting that the Northern part needs another eight years to balance the Obasanjo and Jonathan periods.
“With Buhari they are constrained to only four years till 2023, but with Abubakar Atiku, the difference will be reconciled,” he said adding that the idea provides a lot of fairness and equity.
“We in the South don’t see anything wrong with power staying in North for another eight years. It’s for equity, above all, Nigeria must work and make progress,” he said.
Explaining why he called it “the difficult truth, he said: “It’s painful that we have not successfully integrated North and South from our hearts. But we have learnt to accept our country Nigeria, and we Love it.
He said the South-East must acknowledge that even if Abubakar Atiku is elected and rules for eight years, Nigeria will not end and the opportunity will always be there.
“The only difference is that the present generation of politicians will naturally fade away while a finer breed of Igbo men will run Nigeria.
“There is no Security in the APC promise either that power will return to South East. I am sincere to call the North to an understanding and the South East to another form of understanding that we must balance the equity and that 2027 is not too far.
While saying that it’s better to build on the truth from the beginning, he noted that, “it may interest the north to know that we are showing them love and brotherhood.”
“Nigerians are faced with the choice of choosing a team that know how to fix the economy or continue with those who are still promising us hardship as if what we are going through now is not enough.”
While he said the bad eggs which caused infamy of the Peoples Democratic Party have all left to the All Progressives Congress, identifying them as Godswill Akpabio, Rotimi Amaechi among others.
Discussing what he described as the present day state of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Obi said: “The PDP as it is today, consists of people who believed in the ideals of service, but who were hindered by the powerful corrupt individuals.
While he said “the corrupt ones have left the PDP to join President Buhari in APC,” he lamented that despite huge revenue accruable to the nation through the Federal Inland Revenue Services, Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Ports Authority among other revenue generating agencies, the Buhari administration still borrowed in trillions and achieve only ten percent of capital budget.
Paul pointed out that “Nigerians should understand that PDP is not the individual that was stealing, it was the leaders,” he said adding that “eighty percent of the thieves are now in the ruling All Progressives Congress.”
Nigeria is too dear a country to be left in the hands of thieves, he said, adding that the electorate needs to understand how risky it is to commit the nation to the leadership of the APC.
“Nigerians need to collectively vote out the thieves that have gathered in the ruling APC,” he added.
