ACF chides Akeredolu over comment on Southern president

The Arewa Consultative Forum, on Wednesday, chided Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), over his comment on the Southern president.

Akeredolu had declared that any political party that fielded a northern candidate in the 2023 presidential election would lose. The governor spoke while receiving members of a group, the Power Rotation Movement, led by the Chairman, Pogu Bitrus, who also doubles as the Chairman, Middle Belt Forum.

Reacting to this, the group carpeted the governor, saying Akeredolu being a senior legal practitioner should know better when it comes to electing anyone to occupy the nation’s coveted seat.

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The group which spoke via a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe, referred the governor to the position of the constitution concerning the emergence of a president in the country.

Part of the statement reads that “Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) should know that any presidential candidate, who intends to win the seat, needs votes from 24 states and not 17 (South) and 19 (North). That is what the constitution says.

“As a very senior lawyer, Governor Akeredolu should know the provisions of the constitution. It is, therefore, not possible for a group of states to come together and say we must produce the president. Anybody eyeing that seat must traverse the country, the North and the South to meet the demands of the constitution.”