The prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group:-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) is arguing that the current Federal government has no basis in law and morality to detain Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or proscribe the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) because the Southern and Northern governors have by their actions, inactions, speeches and conflicts around which zone between North/South produces the successor to president Muhammadu Buhari have demonstrated that they are secessionists higher than Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB.
The HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said there is no basis for Northern Nigeria to insist on producing the successor to the Katsina State born president Muhammadu Buhari if their intention is not to move for the eventual split of Nigeria in 2023 which is inevitable should Northern Nigeria produce the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari whowill quit in 2023 after serving for two straight terms of eight years as President.
HURIWA argues further that it is constitutionally compliant that the Office of the President of Nigeria to rotate between North and South because the Constitution provides for integration in section 15 from subsection 1 to 4 thus-: ” 15. (1) The motto of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress. (2) Accordingly, national integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited. (3) For the purpose of promoting national integration, it shall be the duty of the State to: (a) provide adequate facilities for and encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughtout the Federation. (b) secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the Federation. (c) encourage inter-marriage among persons from different places of origin, or of different religious, ethnic or linguistic association or ties; and (d) promote or encourage the formation of associations that cut across ethnic, linguistic, religious and or other sectional barriers. (4) The State shall foster a feeling of belonging and of involvement among the various people of the Federation, to the end that loyalty to the nation shall override sectional loyalties.”
HURIWA said: “We are ever more convinced beyond the shadows of doubts that the actions, inactions, speeches, threats made by governors of North versus South have shown that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his unarmed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are prisoners of conscience and the members and leader of this otherwise proscribed IPOB must be released immediately since even the governors who are exercising constitutional powers are saying those same divisive sentiments and positions espoused by IPOB”.
“In Fact the governors are terrorizing the peace of Nigeria by failing to peacefully agree to the transfer of presidential power from the North to the South in 2023 which is the irreducible minimum condition precedent for Nigeria to remain as a United entity beyond 2023. The arguments and actions of the governors, the president and the Northern dominated Appeal Court on the collection of the value added tax shows that the presidency, the governors and the courts are now to be categorized as functional secessionists because these divisiveness and actions are stoking up tensions in Nigeria and are capable of inflaming passion and creating uncontrollable schism between North and South and eventually dovetail into a civil conflict which may lead to the division of Nigeria by 2023”, HURIWA added. The statement was signed by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko National Coordinator and Miss Zainab Yusuf the National Director of Media and made available to journalists in Abuja.
HURIWA recalled that Southern Governors had met previously and ruled that Nigeria’s next president should be from the southern part of the country, governors of the southern states have said.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting, which held in Lagos ,Monday, reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to the unity of the country.
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness, and unanimously agreed that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between southern and northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the south,” Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, said on behalf of the Southern Governors Forum (SGF).
Nigeria’s next president should be from the southern part of the country, governors of the southern states have said.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting, which held in Lagos ,Monday, reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to the unity of the country.
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness, and unanimously agreed that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between southern and northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the south,” Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, said on behalf of the Southern Governors Forum (SGF).
Similar, the Governors of North also met and ruled that the South must never get the slot for the President of Nigeria in 2023 because they reasoned that rotational presidency is unconstitutional. HURIWA however said the Constitution recognises the People of Nigeria as the owners of the Sovereignty of Nigeria abd therefore can decide to rotate the office of the President of Nigeria just as the Rights group said even under the Federal character principles in section 14(3) rotating the office of President in 2023 from North to South is lawful because it guarantees that every part of Nigeria feels a sense of belonging.