Former Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi has told those who want to become president of Nigeria in 2023 to show their faces now for Nigerians to see.
He said this while chiding politicians arguing on the zoning of presidency to the North or Southern region.
Sanusi speaking on Arise Tv slammed politicians for being concerned about the zoning of the presidency rather than how to provide a fairer and transparent electoral process to enable the best president to emerge in the forthcoming 2023 election.
“If you want to become the President of Nigeria whether from North or South come out now and show us your face and let us choose
“There are constitutions in that world that provide for the rotational presidency but I have always objected to this idea that we should focus on where the President comes from.
“The Southern governors are saying they want the President to come from the South same thing as Northern governors insisting the president comes from the North but have you noticed no one has come out to give names of who they want.
“This whole zoning to the South and North is about manoeuvring ethnic and regional sentiment to one part of the country and then the big masquerades behind it begin to come out. This is why at the end of the exercise you come up as Nigeria with two equally useless candidates and voters don’t have a choice,” the former Emir said.
He said, even if politicians agree on a rotational presidency, what should be the bone of contention is that a Southern Nigerian shouldn’t feel worse off because the President is from the North and Vice versa.
“The Igbos want the presidency, if you go to Edo State they also want presidency when are we going to stop this, meanwhile we have serious issues before us like electronic transmission of the election.
“When you contest for election in Nigeria you’re not just contesting against your opponent but political thugs, partisan police officers, the judiciary. Why are politicians not talking about how they can give us a more reliable, fairer and transparent process where we can select a good leader but focusing on where the leader should come from.
“Why is zoning the presidency that critical to politicians and the most important thing to discuss at this point when you’re heading towards an election,” Sanusi questioned.