Former Senate chief whip Roland Owie says power should remain in the north for 4 more years after Buhari

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Although 2023 when President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to finish his second term is still three years away, agitations on which zone power should shift to have been on but former Chief Whip of the Senate, Sir Roland Owie presented a new perspective to the agitation when he said power should remain in the north at least for another four years after 2023 for equity and fairness.

Speaking to journalists in his residence, Owie also posited that when power eventually shifts to the south post-2023, it should be ceded to the south-east region of the country.

Owie said his position is hinged on the fact that the south has had more time at the presidency than the north since 1999, a situation he said was occasioned by the death President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest after he finished the tenure if Yar’Adua against his advice.


He said “The problem we have in Nigeria particularly those of us from the southern part is that we are sometimes not realistic and we forget that if we are going to equity, we must go with clean hands.

“Presidency came from South West with Obasanjo even though he lost his unit, he lost his booth, he lost his local government and lost the entire zone but he became President of Nigeria and did eight years even though he was trying to take a third term.

“Then the thing shifted to the north and produced Yar’Adua, one of the best president Nigeria has ever had may his soul rest in peace.

“The man who agreed that his election was flawed, and brought peace to Niger Delta died and the Vice President took over.

“You can see the wisdom of Abacha in his constitution that was not used where he made provision for a second Vice President from the Zone that produces the president, if we had adopted that his constitution, it means when Yar’Adua died, the Vice President from his zone would have taken over, we would not have been where we are today.

“Yar’Adua died and Jonathan took over and finished the remaining years in the tenure and took another four years.

“If there were no greedy leaders, I knew what I said in our south-south leaders meeting that Jonathan should allow somebody from the north run for the presidency age is on his side, that when it rotates back to the South-South, he can still run but those who felt that they owned PDP, who were not there when PDP was formed lured the man and pushed him to go for a third term.

“Today, when you calculate after Buhari’s tenure expires in 2023, the north will have four years, 244 days to complete their own quota of the presidency so it is not the turn of the south yet.

“When there is no justice, there can’t be peace. So the slot for 2023 is for the north and when the thing finishes, the presidency will come to the south and then should go to South-East.”