The National Chairman of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has commended the Southern governors for their resolve that the next president should come from the zone and said the move is a boost for Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
Senator Adeyeye who reacted to the outcome of the southern governors’ meeting in a release signed by his Media Manager, Mr Gboyega Adeoye, said the resolve of the Southern Governors Forum was a good step towards the unity of the country, particularly at this time when the country is being threatened by centrifugal forces.
According to him, Nigeria is currently in dire need of committed, selfless Nigerians, particularly those in power, to lift it above lingering killer distractions capable of suffocating the fragile democracy.
The southern governors met in Lagos Monday to reaffirm their commitment to the unity of Nigeria on the pillars of fairness, justice, progress and peaceful coexistence between and amongst the people.
The forum also 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 went on to resolve that the next president of the country should emerge from the southern region.
Reacting further, Senator Adeyeye said the decisions were apt, “not only for the governors saying the obvious but for rooting for a level playing ground amongst the three major zones of the southern Nigeria to warm up to produce the next president of Nigeria.
According to him, such agreement among the governors can only be the .needed truce to douse the current tension raised against Nigeria’s democratic order by lingering ethnic violence across the country.
He therefore hailed the timely efforts by the governors, led by the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, saying they are echoing what his group, SWAGA, stands for, just as he pledged support.
Adeyeye said: “we boldly salute the commitments and timely response of the governors of the southern Nigeria to have stood their ground on the issue if rotational presidency which have generated some undercurrents in recent times. I want to say that SWAGA aligns with the governors on the need to reaffirm our unity and wholesome development of Nigeria on the frontiers of equity, fairness, justice, progress and peaceful co-existence between and amongst our people, as is the stance of the governors.
“We also appreciate the Forum’s position on the presidency of Nigeria to be rotated between Southern and Northern Nigeria, coupled with the resolve that it is the turn of the South to produce the next president, irrespective of party affiliations. This is the philosophy of SWAGA and what we stand for as a group.
‘We believe in one Nigeria where equity and justice reign. We believe in the unity of our country, founded on fairness and equitable distribution of our wealth without fair or favour and love that knows no bounds among the citizenry.
“These are the strong pillars upon which we can oxygenate and rev our dear country back to life,” Senator Adeyeye said.
