TheCable

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south district, says the northern region will benefit more if a southerner becomes president in 2023.

With months to the 2023 elections, there have been calls for the next president to come from the south.

The two major political parties in the country — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) — are currently silent on the zoning of their presidential tickets, and this has fuelled speculations that both parties may throw the contest open.

Speaking on Tuesday in an interview on Channels Television, Ndume said the next president of the country should come from the south in the spirit of justice and fairness.

The Borno senator added that the northern part of the country benefitted more during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who hails from the south.

“Personally, I feel we will be better off with the president coming from the south. The current president comes from the north and if you look at it analytically, the south benefitted more. If the president comes from the south, we will benefit more just as we did previously during Jonathan’s administration,” he said.

“It pays the north more if there is a southern president. It pays the south when there is a northern president. When Buhari was appointed, the south benefitted more. They have the vice-president and the vice-president is so powerful, because the president at one time handed over the country to him when he left – that was unprecedented.

“The vice-president and speaker of the house of representatives are from the south-west. From the south, there are more than five strategic ministers — the minister of finance was from the south-west until the south-west pushed her out, because it was the media hype that pushed her out because of the trivial matter of NYSC certificate.

“Then, we have the ministers of works, health and state for health from the south. Another important ministry is the petroleum ministry — the president is the minister, and the minister of state is from south-south.

“In terms of infrastructure, the south benefitted more because the second Niger bridge will be completed very soon. East-west road will be completed. The deep blue sea project is in the south. The Lagos-Ibadan rail was started and commissioned. The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is also going on smoothly. So many projects in the south. Without fear of any contradiction, we will benefit more if the president comes from the south.”