By Blessing Etim
Member representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State, Honourable Kolawole Lawal has maintained that the issue of zoning is not a constitutional matter and that Nigerians across political divide have not been sincere with it so far, as it is not well backed by law and cannot be proudly fought for.
The lawmaker who said this recently, at NUJ Abuja Council, during the ‘Correspondents’ Roundtable’ organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, 1st March, 2022 with the theme: “2023 and the zoning question”, advised that the issue of zoning should be shelved ahead of the 2023 general elections as zoning will not give Nigeria the desired results as a country.
In his words, “What I have always said on zoning is that we have zoning at the convention, it is like it is almost becoming a tradition. But it is not a constitutional matter; either in the 1999 constitution amended or the active constitution. If there is sincerity in the issue of zoning, nobody would come out today from the Northern part of Nigeria to say they want to contest the 2023 presidential election of Nigeria. Even the PDP that started it, I am not sure it is in their constitution. Yes, there is zoning but it is not documented, it is not something that can be proudly fought for”.
Also, Lawal, who blamed the agitations by various ethnic groups on the poor implementation of the existing laws, said Nigeria do not need a new law, as there are laws capable of solving the myriads of problems confronting the nation if well implemented. “We do not need new laws, we can be doing some amendments but we have all the laws that we need. But due to poor implementation, we are having agitation all over the place.”
Speaking on 2023 elections, the lawmaker in his opinion said power should shift to the South East as they ordinarily should have the privilege of producing the president of Nigeria come 2023.
“Presidency should have gone to South East. Why? South West has tasted power twice. This is my opinion, not the opinion of any party, or the opinion of the House. South South has had it. South West has had it, but South East has not had it. That is the only area in the South that is yet to have it. If we are looking at it on merit, it should be South East”.
