Yoruba forum on 2023 presidency: Southern governors need to be diplomatic

The Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF) says southern governors need to adopt diplomacy in seeking power shift to the region.

The southern governors, after a meeting in Lagos on Monday, had demanded that the next president should come from the region “in the interest of justice and equity”.

Speaking on the development at a media briefing on Friday, Adesina Animashaun, national coordinator of YAF, said the issue of rotational presidency should not threaten the peaceful coexistence in the country.

“We have observed a flurry of activities and desperate attempts by some powerful politicians and individuals to further aggravate the ongoing debate and eventually create tension in the polity ahead of the 2023 general elections,” Animashaun said.

“There are processes leading up to general elections, from party congresses to conventions and the election itself.

“The southern governors should put their house in order and find ways to market their candidacy to their parties and other parts of the country for acceptance.

“Diplomacy is the watchword in democratic settings. There is no constitutional backing for the rotational presidency in Nigeria. Therefore, in taking such a stand, there is a need for diplomacy so as not to be seen as a declaration of force.

“Already, northern governors and elders, youths, as well as various groups, have rejected the position of the southern governors, particularly on power shift and other demands made by them,” 

“We wish to state that the existing peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the country in the recent past should not be disturbed or threatened by issues that can be amicably resolved.

“We appeal to Nigerians from all sections of the country to be calm and allow peace to continue to reign even in the face of the various vexing national issues some individuals and groups have been exploring to further their own selfish interests.”