The Presidency of Nigeria has defended the existing power rotation agreement between the North and the South, urging the North to allow the South to complete its current eight-year tenure. This, according to the Presidency, is crucial for maintaining national stability and upholding the country's unity. The arrangement, which has been in place since the end of military rule, is seen as a reciprocal compact that has stabilized the Fourth Republic.
According to Hajya Rahma Abdulmajid, Personal Assistant to the President on Radio and Broadcast, the power rotation arrangement was born out of a need to ensure fairness and stability in the country. Speaking at the Grand Inauguration and Strategic Media Awards Ceremony of Matan Arewa 4 Tinubu Again in Kano, Abdulmajid emphasized that the arrangement is not a sectional concession but a reciprocal agreement that has worked because it has been honoured.
The origin of the power rotation arrangement dates back to 1998, when patriots gathered in Kaduna to negotiate a framework for unity after the end of military rule. Abdulmajid noted that present in that room was Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, who later confirmed the agreement. Other notable figures who shaped the understanding include Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo.
Abdulmajid argued that the North cannot sacrifice the stability of Nigeria for the ambition of one man, in a veiled reference to Atiku Abubakar. She emphasized that the power rotation arrangement has worked in the past, citing the transition from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and later to Goodluck Jonathan from the South. According to her, the North felt cheated when Jonathan took over after Yar'Adua's death, but the arrangement has generally held.
The presidency warned that breaking the power rotation arrangement could jeopardize the country's unity. Abdulmajid stressed that the arrangement is a sacred promise made by the country's founding patriots to keep Nigeria one. She noted that the guns of military rule finally fell silent in 1999, and the nation made a promise to rotate power between the North and South every eight years.
The power rotation arrangement has been in place since 1999, with the South holding power from 1999 to 2007 under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The North then held power from 2007 until Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's death in 2010, after which Goodluck Jonathan from the South took over. The arrangement has generally been seen as a way to guarantee fairness and ensure stability in the country.
The presidency's statement comes amid calls for a review of the power rotation arrangement. However, Abdulmajid insisted that the arrangement is sacrosanct and must be honoured to maintain national stability. The presidency's position is that the South's current eight-year tenure must be completed, and any attempt to truncate it could have destabilizing consequences for the country.
Key points
- Nigeria's presidency justifies power rotation between North and South.
- The South's current eight-year tenure must be completed for national stability.
- Breaking the power rotation arrangement could jeopardize the country's unity.
