Former Speaker of the Federal House Representatives, Rt.Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said the North should produce the next President that will complete additional four years to meet up with the South.
Dogara said simple calculations showed that the southern region of Nigeria ruled the country for 14 years, while the Northern region only ruled for 10 years.
He stated this on Monday while speaking as Guest Speaker in Zonkwa, Kaduna state during the election campaign and presentation of flags to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate, Sunday Marshall Katung, and other candidates for federal constituencies in Southern Kaduna.
He said: “To those saying why should a Muslim succeed another Muslim? I will say to them, the truth is what every Christian is called to. And if we must say the truth, Jonathan is a Christian, Obasanjo is a Christian, Obasanjo ruled for eight years, and Jonathan ruled for six years. So, if we sum the two together, we, I said we because I am a Christian, we have ruled this country for 14 years. Buhari has ruled for eight years and Yar’Adua ruled for two years, making a total of 10 years. So, we can only be just by allowing the Muslims have a balance of four years. Also, the two Christian Presidents are from the South, so, the North has a balance of four years.
“In the context of present Nigeria where we are divided in such a way that we can say Nigeria has never been as divided, whether we are talking about religious divide, political divide, ethnic divide, the fault lines are many and except we find a way to unite ourselves once more, we cannot build. We will continue to perish as fools.
“So, if you ask me as a politician, that what is the greatest challenge of our country, you can say it is leadership, I believe so, but I believe it is unity first. But it is leadership that brings about unity and that is why leadership and unity go together. So, the first task is for us to unite ourselves. Whether we are talking about the challenge of killings we are witnessing here in Southern Kaduna, banditry, terrorism, whatever it is, the solution is that we unite ourselves, because divided people have never conquered anything. So, it requires unity for us to conquer all the challenges facing us in southern Kaduna and the entire country.
“So, I will want to tell us that, some people will tell us that, we are Christians, we cannot vote a Muslim. Those who hate the unity of this country will want us to emphasize religion over unity. They want to divide us according to our tribes, instead of bringing us together, so that, we can work together and build a nation that is strong, united and prosperous.
“They will tell you, why will a Muslim succeed another Muslim as President or why will a Fulani man succeed another Fulani man? I am being very honest, because these are the discussions you find on the streets, and some of us cannot deny the fact that, we are having these discussions. But, I want to tell us that, as I have said before unless we unite, we cannot conquer.
“And I tell you, that I come from a community that is challenged by this kind of killings that you witness in Southern Kaduna, Tafawa Balewa was a national flashpoint. The solution to the killings was that we all came together, Muslims, Christians, Fulani and my own tribe people formed a peace committee that I chaired. And from the day we formed that peace committee, there have been no killings. So, there is no challenge bigger than us, there is nothing we cannot overcome if we are united”.
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