Political Relationship Between North and South of Nigeria: The Simple Truth
We find it funny that the South says that the North is unfair for wanting Atiku Abubakar to succeed Muhammadu Buhari. The narration conveniently ignores the fact that after the June 12 episode, the nation had a form of silent consensus for rotation of the Presidency and the major parties nominated mostly Southern candidates, with the North ignoring their kinsmen in the race in 1999 just to fulfil the national consensus.
Under that arrangement, the PDP leaders in the North denied the likes of Abubakar Rimi twice in their primaries to maintain the consensus.
Obasanjo was presented by the PDP while Only Falae was presented by the AD. Obasanjo defeated Falae and ruled for 8 years from 1999 to 2007.
After that it became the turn of the North but Yar’Adua died after 2 years in office.
The North pointed out that it was their turn and should be allowed to present a replacement for Yar’Adua as President.
The South argued the Doctrine of Necessity based on the provision of the constitution that the Vice takes over from a demised or incapacitated President. The North conceded and President Jonathan completed the 2 years of the first term of the Northern tenure.
Reason, fairness and equity should have dictated that after completing the 2 years, the South should have returned the ticket to the North because it was their turn, but Jonathan insisted he wanted to continue, disregarding the interest of the North.
The Southerners supported him and blinded their mind to the injustice to the North by usurping their turn.
After much consideration, the Northern PDP leadership magnanimously conceded again and allowed the South to rule for another 4 years, even though it was hard and painful.
It was though with a caveat, that he would return the mandate to the North after completing the fours. Jonathan agreed.
Sadly, after doing the four years, from 2011 to 2015, Jonathan reneged on the agreement and insisted on running again. Sadly, the Southerners supported him again, ignoring the fact that the South had had 14 years while the North had had just 2 by then.
Had Jonathan won, he would have ruled for 10 years, 2 years in excess of constitutional allowance. The South would also have ruled for 18 years while the North had had just 2 years. The South ignored all these and supported Jonathan.
How now can the Southern APC and Labour Party be talking about untrustworthiness of the North whereas in our recent political history it is the South that has been unfair and disregarded the North?
It is even worse and more painful to the North that Jonathan and the South decided to take advantage of the death of Yar’Adua to cheat the North and disregard the consensus on rotation.
When they argue that the North had rule for longer years during military rule, as some are wont to do, the blame is also on them.
At the inception of our democracy, the alliance of the NPC and NCNC saw Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (South) as President while Tafawa Balewa (North) was Prime Minister. Aguiyi Ironsi (South) was Commanding Officer of the Nigeria Army, the highest military position then. Nwafor Orizu (South) was Head of Parliament. Check out the distribution of the top positions, one Northern to four Southerners.
But the nation was growing gradually under the arrangement when Nzeogwu and co struck in the first military coup of January 1966.
Sadly and most unintelligently, they designed the coup as an Igbo coup, for all intents and purposes.
They killed the Prime Minister Balewa (North) and left the President Azikiwe (South East). They killed the leader of the Northern political party and Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello (North) and the Premier of Western Region, Chief Ladoke Akintola, and left the the Premier of the Eastern Region, Sir Mike Opara.
Look at the loopsidedness of the killings.
They brought in Aguiyi-Ironsi to head the government and he in turn failed to court marshall the coup plotters. Rather he made them enjoy huge salary, promotions and VIP treatment in detention.
Ask the Southerners that if they were Northerners what would they think, what would they do, how would they feel?
The singular action of the first coup set the barrel of coups rolling into the civil war and after. Who is to blame?
The North did not bargain nor plan to be ruling by coups. The South and the Igbos brought it about and who would have controlled the military?
Sadly, after the nation recovered civilian rule in 1999 and had a consensus on rotation, the South ruled 8 years with Obasanjo but wheb Yar’Adua died after two years when it was the turn of the North, the South cashed on the death of Yar’Adua to break the accord and usurp the turn of the North through Jonathan.
Between the North and the South, who is most guilty of betrayal of trust?
