Southern governors: Next president should come from the south

Governors of the southern states have said the next president of the country should come from the region.

The governors made their stance known after a meeting which held in Lagos state on Monday.

During the meeting, the governors also discussed state police, restructuring, open grazing and fiscal federalism.

“The forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness, and unanimously agreed that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between southern and northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the south,” Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, said on behalf of the Southern Governors Forum (SGF).

On the security situation in the country, the governors reiterated their clamour for state police.

They also resolved that “if for any reason security institutions need to undertake an operation in any state, the chief security officer of the state must be duly informed”.

The forum frowned at “selective criminal administration of justice and resolved that arrests should be made within the ambit of the law and fundamental human rights”.

The governors set a timeline of September 1 for the “promulgation of the anti open grazing law in all member states”.

They also noted that funds deducted from the federation account for the Nigeria Police security trust fund “should be distributed among the states and federal government to combat security challenges”.

The governors rejected the removal of electronic transmission of election result from the electoral act.

TheCable had earlier reported that national assembly leadership had blocked the proposed electronic transmission of election results.

Some of the governors present at the meeting are Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Philip Shaibu, deputy governor of Edo, who is representing Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state.

Others are Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, Diri Duoye of Bayelsa, Willie Obiano of Anambra, Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, David Umahi of Ebonyi, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Seyi Makinde of Oyo.