SOUTHERN AND MIDDLE-BELT LEADERS INSIST ON ZONING PRESIDENCY TO SOUTH

The Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has called on political stakeholders and Nigerians to uphold the country’s multi-party constitutional democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The forum made the call at the end of an emergency meeting held in Abuja, where its leaders stressed the need to preserve political stability and democratic traditions in the country.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting and  jointly signed by OLADIPO OLAITAN, BITRUS POGU, JOHN AZUTA-MBATA,and GODKNOWS IGALI, SMBLF declared that the office of the President of Nigeria should remain in the Southern region for the next four years following the 2027 elections, insisting that the zoning arrangement has become an important part of Nigeria’s democratic culture since the return to civilian rule in 1999 and should be respected in the interest of fairness, equity, and national unity.

The forum urged all political parties to nominate and elect presidential candidates from Southern Nigeria in line with the established zoning principle, emphasizing the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to remain fully independent and transparent in managing political party affairs and conducting elections across the country.

The group further expressed concern over controversies surrounding some provisions of the Electoral Act, warning that unresolved issues within the law could undermine the credibility of elections and create unnecessary political tension,  therefore called on the National Assembly to urgently review the disputed sections of the Act.