Afenifere: North can govern Sambisa Forest for 100-years

The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has lambasted the Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, Ango Abdullahi, for saying that the North would rule Nigeria beyond 2023.

Abdullahi, in a statement, had claimed that the North would hold onto power for the next 100-years.

He also stated that the "northern region would only support candidates from the North" for the 2023 presidency.

But, the spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, who replied to the statement by the northern elder, said Abdullahi was only joking.

He announced that President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor would come from the South.

“Congratulations to Ango Abdullahi for making such remark, if they have the ambition of ruling Nigeria for the next 100 years. But let me state that they will only rule their corner of Nigeria for 1,000 years and not the country as a whole," Odumakin said.

“They will take their corner of Nigeria up to Sambisa Forest and govern for a decade, we have no problem with that.

“As for United Nigeria, going beyond what is obtainable now, I think they are joking.”

2023 Presidency

“Based on understanding of what is on ground, the next President of Nigeria should come from the Southern part of the country, but to some of us, ultimately if Nigeria is restructured, it does not matter where the president comes from. In the first republic, Ahmed Bello sent his lieutenant to be Prime Minister of Nigeria while he stayed back to be Premier of Northern Nigeria.

“And this was because we practised federalism but as long as we are locked up under this idea of the president of Nigeria controlling everything, we will continue to be enslaved.

“The North has reduced Nigeria and has used their power to the detriment of others, so after Buhari’s second tenure, power should come back to the Southern part of the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has said that he would not pick a successor.