* Daura
By Pita Chibs, Minna

The former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, has backed the recent comment credited to Mamman Darua  on the zoning of 2023 presidency, saying Daura's comment was just a suggestion of a way out after over 20 years of experiment of a system.

Aliyu who made this known to newsmen in Minna on Saturday evening said that after going through the statement credited to Mammam Daura, he (Aliyu) believed that he (Daura) should not be crucified "because it is obvious that after over 20 years of experiment, the zoning arrangements has failed to produce the desire result".

According to him, " I think Daura is saying is that after over 20 years, has the zoning rarely produced the best for the country, in the process are we not just producing a northern president, a southern president or a possible south east president".

Aliyu who is a member of Board of Trustee (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pointed out that "Whatever system you have, you have an objective to achieve. After over 20 years of zoning arrangements, have we rarely produced the best for the country.

"We had zoning from 1999 to date because we wanted unity and we wanted every part of the country to have sense of belonging. We want Nigeria as one, so the zoning makes it obvious that everybody will be able to participate but has it given us what we wanted.

"For me I think Daura is simply saying we have had zoning three times, why don't we look at something else, shouldn't we move to another stage and see what happens because if you said it is my turn, it doesn't rarely make you look for that thing".

Aliyu believed that Mamman Daura comment on zoning should not generate unnecessary bickering because Its like flying a kite, adding that "whether you zone it or not, election is about the number of votes you are able to gather, so let the people determine what happens in 2023.

"To me I think the society should determine what they want and how to  go about it. "

While further justifying the position of Daura, Aliyu disclosed that  "In US today two contagious states have produced both the president and the Vice President because they have reach that level to say we don't need that zoning, let the best come from anywhere", admitting however that though it is not a one day thing.

He nonetheless exercised some cautions that no one can be too sure of the competent that we are looking for because according to him, "it is not the process itself that is just competent, it is the honesty of the people". 

"The competent that we are looking for, which ever way you go about it, one ma want to ask, are they rarely looking for competent leaders or they are looking for somebody they can bend or somebody they can manipulate", he submitted.

It could be recalled that Mamman Daura, nephew to President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari rtd, had in an interview with BBC Hausa Service dismissed the issue of zoning and rotation of the nation’s presidency.

Daura had argued that competence, not geography, should determine the next president of Nigeria in 2023, stressing that "This turn-by-turn, it was done once, it was done twice, and it was done thrice… It is better for this country to be one…it should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere".