“I have never believe in zoning. If today, Yusuf Buhari is the best candidate to rule Nigeria I will support him.
”As the search for who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure expires in 2023 intensifies, the leader of the breakaway faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, known as APC, Alh Buba Galadima, has stated that the next president of Nigeria must be somebody who has vision and plan for the people of this country.
Galadima said his group is currently searching for a detribalized Nigerian who would see every section of the country as his constituency and must be ready to unite the country, unlike Buhari.Speaking to Nigerian Pilot, the ex-loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari, said his group is ready to support Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo to succeed Buhari if he meets the parameters set and come tops among those who would present themselves for the position when the time comes.
“Osinbajo is a good candidate, when the time comes we will compare all the candidates based on our parameters, if he comes top among them we will support him,” he said.
When asked what the parameters were, the former founding member of All Progressives Congress, APC , said, “that person must be a person with a large heart that can accommodate every person in Nigeria and that person must have antecedents of what he has done while in public office or in private sector that must have impacted positively on the people of this country and he must be such a person that will be able to unite the people of this country irrespective of religion, tribe or ethnicity, that is the person we will be looking for when the time comes. We are not just going for anybody because he comes from a particular religion, ethnic group or section of this country.“So whoever wants to be president must show us that he’s detribalised, he’s not a sectionalist, he doesn’t have emotions against a certain group in the country. That is how we will support the person. But if I go to your office and I found out that from your gateman, to your clerk, and personal aides are all from your tribe, you are not worth holding any public office in Nigeria.
”On the controversial issue of zoning, the erstwhile chieftain of APC disagreed with the position of the spokesperson of Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, saying if north produces the best, we will go for him, if the south produces the best we will go for him so long as he certifies those qualities we demanded, we will go for him regardless of where he or she comes from.
He said, “We practice democracy, let the forces of democracy play their own part. If you are talking of zoning, you are restricting merit. I see those who call and fight for merit now talking about zoning.
I never believe in zoning. I have been a member of the constituent assembly in 1987, a member of national conference in 1994, a member of Jonathan’s conference in 2014 and my views are there in the hands of those constitution drafting committees, and I have never believe in zoning. If today, Yusuf Buhari is the best candidate to rule Nigeria I will support him.”