2023: Yoruba Youth Group Insists on Southwest Presidency, Berates Umahi, Ayade

• A Yoruba youth group has insisted that the southwest region must produce Nigeria's next president in 2023
• The group, Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association, noted that southwest politicians have made sacrifices for the ruling APC
• The group also berated Governors Dave Umahi and Ben Ayade who defected to the APC, describing them as opportunists

Ibadan - A group, Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association (YYSA) on Saturday, September 25 said the southwest deserved to be given the chance to produce the president in 2023.

This was contained in a statement by the group’s national president, Olalekan Hammed, and seen by The Guardian newspaper.

Part of the statement read:

“Among the three geo-political zones that constitute southern Nigeria, southwest has maximally paid its dues in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and deserves the party’s presidential ticket in 2023.

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“The election that brought President Muhammadu Buhari into power was highly complimented by southwest votes as at the time when both south-south and southeast could not give him the required 25 percent vote.

“Governors defecting to APC in south-south and southeast after 2019 are children of circumstance and opportunists.”

North insists on retaining presidency in 2023

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said heaven will not fall if a northerner is elected the next Nigerian president in 2023.

Maintaining that northerners are not second-class citizens, he said the north will not accept to serve as a second fiddle in 2023 when the region has the population to go to clinch the first position.

He made the comment said while delivering a keynote address at an event in Zaria, Kaduna state, recently.

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Northern ruling class accused of trying to foist Jonathan on Nigerians

In a related development, an unnamed APC chieftain has claimed that the northern oligarchy wants ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to replace President Buhari in 2023 because the Bayelsa-born politician can only serve four years in power if he returns.

Jonathan, 63, held away as Nigeria's leader from 2010 to 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after his then-boss, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua died in office.

The APC chieftain said:

“They have perfected arrangements to ensure that one of them becomes Jonathan’s vice preparatory to taking over from him if he finishes his remaining term. This move is purely a northern affair and they are not relenting about it regardless of the effect it will have on the party.”

Source: Legit.ng