US-Based Nigerian Scholar Kperogi Breaks Silence On Claims No One Can Become President Without North
- Professor Farooq Kperogi, a US-based Nigerian scholar has dismissed claims by Northern elders that no one can become president without Northern endorsement
- The professor accused Dr Datti Baba Ahmed of promoting regional arrogance while noting that his statement was unfounded
- Kperogi pointed to past presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan as evidence of a different path to the presidency
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Dr Datti Baba Ahmed, a former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum and a political adviser to Bola Tinubu during his tenure as Vice President, recently claimed that no one could become Nigeria’s president without the support and endorsement of the North.
His assertion has sparked controversy, especially as it touches on Nigeria's deeply rooted regional dynamics in politics.
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In an interview, Ahmed stated:
“No one can ever become president without getting the endorsement of the North.”
This statement has drawn criticism, particularly from those who argue that it misrepresents Nigeria's political history and undermines the diverse political landscape of the country.
One of the most vocal critics is Professor Farooq Kperogi, a US-based Nigerian scholar, who has now broken his silence on the issue, labelling the claim as historically and sociologically inaccurate.
Kperogi’s Counter-Argument
In a passionate response, Kperogi dismissed the Northern claim as “self-lionising arrogance”, describing it as an effort to sow division and inspire regional solidarity for political advantage.
According to Kperogi, the idea that a presidential candidate must have the North's endorsement to win the presidency is “historically false” and “sociologically false”.
"For us, that's historically false. Two, that inspires regional solidarity amongst people who don't even like Bola Tinubu, because that is what I call self-lionizing arrogance.
"That’s insufferable regional provincial arrogance to say no one can become president except with us," Kperogi said.
Kperogi pointed out that Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan were able to win the presidency without a significant portion of Northern support, refuting the claim that the North holds the key to power.
A Historical Perspective
Kperogi’s argument was built on the historical victories of Obasanjo and Jonathan. He emphasised that Obasanjo, despite not having the backing of much of the North, secured the presidency in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003.
"Obasanjo became president in 2000 and he won re-election in 2003 without the support of a huge slice of the North. He got the Christian North, beat up other places, and got the entire South," Kperogi argued.
Similarly, Jonathan, who succeeded Obasanjo, won the presidency in 2011 by adopting a similar strategy.
His victory in 2011, according to Kperogi, further disproves the notion that Northern endorsement is a necessity.
"Jonathan also won in 2011 without the North; he used the same template," he said.
The Impact of the Claim
Kperogi also warned that such claims could be damaging by galvanising Southern solidarity that favours a candidate like Bola Tinubu, and also Northern Christian solidarity.
He stressed that this divisive rhetoric was harmful to Nigeria’s unity and political diversity.
"To even say that no one can become president whatever historically inaccurate is sociologically false, but more most importantly, it helps to galvanise southern solidarity, unearned southern solidarity for Bola Tinubu and even northern Christian solidarity as well," Kperogi concluded.
In his view, the rhetoric used by Ahmed and other proponents of the North’s political power only deepens regional divides and prevents the nation from focusing on issues of national importance.
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Source: Legit.ng
