From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Elder statesman and second republic politician, Tanko Yakasai, has lauded Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for his commitment to power rotation and the support for the zoning of presidency to the south in the just concluded presidential election.
Wike had led the G- 5 governors who rebelled against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for not adhering to its constitution to rotate power between the north and south, especially the decision to retain Iyorchia Ayu, a Northerner as chairman following the emergence of Atiku Abubakar, another northerner as presidential flag bearer.
Speaking in Kano, yesterday, Yakasai said by standing for power rotation, Wike has advanced the cause of the country’s unity and national cohesion and deserve to be congratulated by well meaning Nigerians.
He said without rotation, there was no way power would have shifted to the south, saying allowing power to reside in one region for too long was recipe for political crisis.
“I want to congratulate him for committing himself to national unity and this is because, without the nation, there would be no political party or government in the first place. Government and political parties are there because there is a nation to be governed.”
Yakasai recalled that political development of Nigeria since the Second Republic has flourished under the ambiance of rotation , recalling that zoning was first adopted by NPN in the second republic.
“You remember that zoning and rotation were first introduced in the nation’s political vocabulary by the NPN after it was debated extensively at the party’s national caucus and we were able to convince our colleagues of the need to buy into the idea. And I think that it has done well for Nigeria and should be sustained in the interest of national unity,” he said.
