Northerners against zoning because they see Buhari’s tenure as waste — Na’Abba

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba has said many northers regard Major Gen. (retd.) Muhammadu Buhari’s regime as a waste of opportunity for their region.

Na’Abba said this during an interview on Daily Trust TV, stating that most people in the north are opposed to zoning because they feel they did not benefit from the president’s leadership.

He said, “It is not as if northerners and southerners are at war, but in any relationship from time to time, you get some friction. This friction arises from certain reasons,”

The former speaker also described the president as “highly opinionated” noting that he had created an evident divide between the north and the south while presumably favouring one side.

Na’Abba also stated that the president works alone and does not carry out due consultation regarding his policies, rather he believes its a one man show.

“You cannot run a country in a manner that suggests you are highly opinionated. And this opinionation has nothing to do with the people. If it has to do with the people and their welfare, and their feelings — I think it’s ok.

“People in the south have this perception that he is a tribalist… he can’t even manage the country. Someone told me that this man can’t even manage his home, how can he manage a country?

“This idea of zoning, no matter how many times a president comes from a particular zone, it will never satisfy anybody. For example, within the north today, the idea of many people that the presidency must shift to another region is not a welcome idea because the feeling of many people is that the years of this president is a waste. They’ve not gained anything from it.

“So, why should anybody even talk to them about zoning? When they believe they have the numerical strength to elect another person.

“No consultation. Since he suggests that, he works alone. We become president or whatever not because we have the monopoly of wisdom. Nobody has it.”

(The PUNCH)