2023: Edwin Clark Asks North To Allow South Produce Next President

File photo of elder statesman, Edwin Clark

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, elder statesman Edwin Clark has asked the North to allow the South to produce Nigeria’s President.

Although two dominant political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have not zoned the presidency to any geo-political zone, some prominent northerners are believed to be nursing presidential ambitions.

In a statement he personally signed, Clark advised northern politicians to re-consider their desire to contest the presidential election in 2023.

He believes it is now the turn of the southern region to produce President Buhari’s successor since he is from Katsina State, a state in the North-West region.

Failure for a southerner to emerge as President, the elder statesman warned, would lead to chaos and possible disintegration of the country.

“Firstly, I wish to use this medium to advise my most respected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftains in the persons of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, and other PDP aspirants from the north, that in the interest of maintaining the unity of this country to which they have contributed so much, to re-consider their desire of wanting to contest for the Presidential election in 2023, because both by the PDP Constitution and by convention, it is now the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the President of Nigeria, in 2023, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s 8 years. To do otherwise is to invite chaos, which will lead to the disintegration of our dear country,” the statement read.

“I have observed with satisfaction that both the PDP and the APC, have zoned the position of their National Chairman to the North. PDP selected Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, former Senate President, from Benue State, North-Central as its National Chairman. While about eight to twelve APC Party chieftains, all from the North, are contesting for the position of National Chairmanship of the party in its next Convention billed to take place on 26th February 2022. This definitely gives one the impression that both the APC and the PDP have decided to zone their presidential tickets to the south.

“It is, therefore, my passionate appeal to my northern compatriots, for the unity and survival of our great nation, to do the needful by allowing the south to produce the next President, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure. It will be disastrous for anyone to attempt to use the force of power, population, religion and ethnicity, to suppress the rights of other Nigerians without regard for Justice, Equity and Fair play.”