As the general elections of 2023 draw nearer by the day, politically vaccinated nay immune players feel a heightened need to put diverse controversial issues in a proper perspective, like the issue of power rotation to the South after President Buhari must have completed his tenure in office by May 29th and a host of others.
But for this write-up, I will be laying emphasis on an Accord entered into by Governors of Southern States across different party lines, sometime in May/June 2021.
When one engages in deep reflection about the Asaba Declaration and the follow-up meeting that was held in Lagos, with its attendant far-reaching decisions taken for the promotion of National interests to engender justice, equity, and fairness. I cannot but feel sorry for those dramatis personae who intend to betray the spirit and letter of the Accord.
Worse still, is the fact that the Governor who hosted the meeting of Southern Governors at Asaba in May 2021 is now the one leading the charge to undermine the signed Agreements reached at that meeting and by extension, undermine the opportunity for the South to produce a President, despite the abundance of individuals with the requisite credentials who are presently working hard to win the trust of Nigerians.
I will not bore you with all of the shenanigans of the various party primaries and how Presidential candidates emerged, but in the final analysis, two formidable Presidential candidates emerged, one from LP and the other from APC.
The Progressives’ Governors have insisted on abiding by the dictates of the Accord signed and have left no one in doubt, as to their preparedness to go the whole length of the way with their Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, irrespective of what their counterpart, the very one who hosted them in Asaba and others in the PDP think or do.
However, in what seems to be a twist of fate, within the PDP there are 5 Governors who still have the modicum of integrity left in them and for which they are rightly referred to as the “Integrity group” alias “G5 Governors” ably led by the ebullient Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who have shown resistance to breaking the Agreement and exhibited uncommon strength in character, to insist that there be a shift of power somehow, someway to the South and on account of their uncompromising stance, have continued to distance themselves from the actions that negate the spirit and letter of the Accord that was signed in 2021.
Vox populi, vox Dei, as it is said frequently, loosely translates to the voice of the people being that of God. It is my sincere belief that, ultimately, the voice of the people will take precedence over the cacophony of a few self-indulging individuals, who freely enter into Agreements only to renege on these Agreements – as profane persons often do, when presented with a morsel of pudding.
The race for who becomes President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as it stands today, is between Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Peter Gregory Obi of the APC and LP respectively.
In the Asaba/Lagos Declaration we will stand for equity, justice, and fairness to engender peace and progress in a united, virile, and indivisible Nigeria. A new Nigeria is possible.
Antigha Cobham Writes from Calabar South, Cross River State, Nigeria. He is a former President of Association of Residents Doctors, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Chapter.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Antigha Cobham, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.