All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode has come out strongly on those canvassing for South Western presidential candidate, hitting that such push is “absurd and disingenuous”.

Femi was reacting to the recent declaration by Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akerdolu (SAN) and Senator Ali Ndume, among other politicians and pundits, who have been articulating and justifying the reason why the ruling APC should return power to the Southern part of the country.

According to him,  if the PDP picks a northerner as its candidate, then the APC “must do the same in order to win”.

In his rejoinder entitled: “2023: STOP THE HOWLING AND GROWLING AND GET REAL” asserted: “It is absurd and disingenuous for anyone to argue that the SW, who have enjoyed power for 8 years as President and 8 years as VP over the last 23 years alone should take the Presidency next year”.

“What about the South East, North Central and North East? Are they not Nigerians too?” FFK asked.

The rejoinder reads in part: “What we have today are six distinct, strong and intellectually and spiritually independent zones and that is what we should talk about.

“My view is that we should allow any of the three zones that have not had their fair share of democratically elected Presidents have an opportunity to do so next year.

“That is what you call justice and fairness and all the lamentations, insults, threats and barking in the world cannot change that.

“The South East, North East and North Central are peopled by decent, hard-working, diligent, brilliant, civilized leaders as well and they were born free. They were not born Nigerians to be slaves to the people of the North West, South West and South South.

“And those of us from the North West, South West and South South were not born to be their masters and overlords and neither were they born to be ours.

“We were all born to be equals before God and the law and anything short of that will lead to catastrophe and put us on the road to Kigali”.

The former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain challenged further, contending  if the South really wants the Presidency next year in the name of fairness and equity, every single aspirant from both the South West and South South in BOTH parties STEP DOWN for a candidate from the South East and support that candidate.

“Unless and until they have the presence of mind and fortitude to do so they cannot fairly say the Presidency must not go to the North.

“The people of the North East and North Central have been denied their fair share of democratically-elected leaders” FFK argued.

Fani-Kayode asked: “why should they be denied this opportunity again just to pave way for a Southerner in 2023? Are they not Nigerians as well? Are they second class citizens?

“Do they not also have the right to feel marginalized and deprived and are they not entitled to have their own dreams and aspirations?”

FFK rationalized further: “The North Central has NEVER enjoyed a democratically-elected President in our entire history and the North East has not enjoyed it for 62 years!

“Is that reasonable, just or fair?

“Worse still in the case if the North East the entire zone has been ravaged by terrorism and barborous banditry inflicted by mainly foreign sponsored elements over the last 12 years and now some are saying none of their sons can run for the Presidency? This is surely callous and unconciable.

“Can anyone rightly say they will go to war or sabotage the chances of their own political party just because aspirants from either the North Eastern or North Central zones may emerge as the party flag bearer or because their party refuses to zone the Presidency to the South?

“Is this not, at best, irresponsible and, at worse, madness?

“Is it a crime to come from Yobe, Borno, Kogi, Kwara,  Nassarawa, Niger, Adamawa, the FCT or any of the other North Eastern or North Central states? Surely this cannot be so”.

The former Minister predicted that if the opposition PDP picks a northerner as its candidate, the APC MUST do the same in order to win, warning that anything outside of this will be “folly and a recipe for disaster”.

FFK declared that politics is a game of numbers and it is a winner takes all match, while there are no prizes for the runner up.

“The APC must not destroy its chances of winning or sacrifice its chances of victory on the alter of a Southern Presidency despite the rantings of some regional irredentists who have a divisive agenda and who ought to know better.

“We must do all we can to win and judging from what I am seeing and the fact that an Atiku presidential bid is likely to be presented by the PDP the only way we can do so is if we field a strong candidate from the North Central or North Eastern zone.

“Threats that the country will divide or that there will be secession if this happens are unfounded, baseless, alarmist and false.

“We shall hold the line and weather the storm. We shall do whatever it takes to keep the peace and keep our flag flying.

“Nigeria shall remain united and together we shall go from strength to strength” FFK replied.

The raging war of words and wits as currently unfold among the Chieftains of the ruling APC might not be unconnected with the choice of candidates each of them is supporting as different political parties warm up for their presidential primaries.

While Governor Akeredolu might be supporting the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the long-serving Senator Ndume is an ardent supporter of Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi, both from the South West and South South respectively, while FFK is a leading supporter and campaigner of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, North Central Nigeria.

FFK’s candidate (Bello) is among the few APC Northern presidential aspirants.

Recall that the National Chair of the ruling APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu last Friday in a rather rattling declaration said the party was yet to zone its presidential ticket.

APC has scheduled its presidential primary for May 30 to 31, 2022.