Whenever the issue of zoning of the presidency comes up on TV, social media, or in private discussions, I have observed four groups of Nigerians who comment on the issue.
First are those who decline commenting on the issue. They refuse to make their opinions known, at least not publicly. And this does not stem from a lack of interest in political matters. You can engage them in any other political issue but once zoning comes up, they go mute. I find that they are mostly Northerners, especially North-Westerners. Deep down they want the presidency to be retained in the NW, or at least they don’t mind. But their conscience wouldn’t let them speak up. So they just refrain from speaking and feign sitting on the fence.
Then there are those who openly opine that the presidency should not be zoned at all. They base their arguments on the fact that zoning is undemocratic and unconstitutional, or that countries like America and the UK don’t practice zoning, and that zoning is inimical to the development of the country as the best hands are excluded from participating in the contest, as if these ‘best hands’ only come from a particular zone. They forget that they were key to the zoning contract in their political party in the first place.
I’m referring to the Atikus and Sarakis. When it favored them, zoning was the best thing in Nigeria, when it doesn’t, zoning becomes undemocratic. Some of them like Tambuwal and Saraki are afraid that if zoning is upheld, by the next time it gets to their zone, age and political sagacity may have departed from them. Their argument that the party has to re-capture power before it zones/shares it is lame. If you cannot be trusted now, you cannot be trusted then.
Then of course, there are those who want the presidency to be rotated between the North and the South but fall short of specifying which of the geopolitical zone in these regions it should be zoned to. Here you are likely to find the South Westerners supporting either Tinubu or Osinbajo. They argue that it is unfair and unjust that the North should retain power after 8 years in charge. They think it is just that the ‘South’ should produce the next president.
Ask them what zone in the south should this be, and they leave the discussion room. Remind them that the SW has produced a two-term president and a two-term VP, not to mention their stints at the helm of affairs in the federal legislature, and a cat suddenly gets their tongue. I find this group very sly and devious. I would have no problem if they will boldly come out and renounce zoning, opting for an open contest. There’s nothing wrong with that. After all, zoning truly isn’t constitutional. It is only a moral arrangement between party men, and you can’t force a man to be moral. But to hide under the cloak of marginalization (when they are not) is what I find unconscionable and hypocritical.
Finally there are those who not only want the presidency to be zoned, but micro-zoned. That is, specifically zoned to one of the six geopolitical zones. I belong to this group and our national leader is Dr Sam Amadi. I think it is the fair and equitable thing to do, especially in a country like Nigeria with our peculiarities. I don’t buy the ‘America does not zone argument’ as I believe Nigeria is not America and America is not Nigeria. I also don’t buy the ‘the best hand will be excluded’ argument as any of the zones is capable of producing ‘best hands’.
I think that with our deep ethnic and cultural divides and faced with the reality of our forced co-existence, zoning is the only option that guarantees inclusiveness, equity and fairness in the country. Without zoning, some geopolitical zones can as well kiss the presidency goodbye forever. I will end by adding that those who divided the country into geo-political zones were not stupid when they took the decision.