Apex socio-cultural organisation of the South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said it would interact with the presidential candidates from southern Nigeria.
Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Mr. Ken Robinson, who disclosed this to Sunday Vanguard, said their decision to limit the interaction to southern candidates followed their stance on power rotation between North and South.
He stressed that their insistence on rotational presidency formed part of their resolutions at their meeting held in Abuja.
He said: “We are insisting on power rotation. We are insisting that the principle of rotation of power between northern and southern Nigeria is sacrosanct.
“And PANDEF will in due course interact only with presidential candidates from southern Nigeria.”
We know their records —YCE
Secretary-General of YCE, Dr Kunle Olajide, said:”Yes, if the opportunity avails itself, we can have interaction. I think we know about the leading candidates and we would look forward to an opportunity to interact with them before the election.
“Some of them have been telling us their programmes. We know their antecedents and how they performed in the past.
“We would consider the possibility. I will speak with my president and we will discuss it. We are planning a meeting in Chief Fasoranti’s house towards the end of this month and I would get clearance from Justice Bakare, the President of Yoruba Council of Elders. We will make a decision.”
On his part, Ambassador, Yemi Faroubi, said: “Certainly, there is a need for each geopolitical unit to interrogate the presidential candidates for us to know what they want to do for Nigeria. Our nation is made up of six geopolitical units. The leadership of these units ought to interrogate candidates on their vision for Nigeria and each of these units.
The effort being made by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN, to invite all the candidates to Ibadan is good.
“ Afenifere has already endorsed a candidate. It would be difficult for such a group to join others to interrogate the other candidates. They won’t take them seriously. It will be a dangerous thing going into 2023 without knowing what these candidates have for our geopolitical unit.”
