ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Friday, February 26, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
A United States diplomat, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. [PHOTO CREDIT: BBC]

A United States diplomat, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. [PHOTO CREDIT: BBC]

Zoning may create challenge for Nigeria’s 2023 elections — U.S. Diplomat

byKunle Sanni
October 24, 2019
2 min read
ADVERTISEMENT

A United States diplomat, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has said the ”gentleman agreement” of zoning of leadership in Nigeria may prompt a tougher electoral process in the next general elections in 2023.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield who said this on Tuesday while speaking at a two-day conference on Nigeria’s ’20 Years of Democracy’ in Washington DC, described Nigeria’s political system as an ‘old men’s club’ the Cable reported on Tuesday.

The event themed ‘Nigeria’s Democracy at 20: Reflections and Reform’ was organised by National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in partnership with Ford Foundation and YIAGA Africa.

“Nigeria’s politics is an old men’s club. There is also a gentleman’s agreement to rotate power between the north and the south,” she said.

“The next election will be a challenging one because of a gentleman’s agreement to rotate power,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.

Although the Nigerian constitution does not provide for zoning of political leadership, key political offices at the federal and state levels exercise are ‘zoned’ for fairness within regions and ethnic groups.

Zoning of the Presidency has remained a norm -with powers constantly rotating between the North and the South regions in the country’s two-decade electoral process.

With President Muhammadu Buhari from the North serving his second and his last term as allowed by the constitution, it is expected that power will shift to the South in 2023.

Not so fast

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in August called for the abandonment of zoning arrangements for political offices as adopted in the country.

RelatedNews

Buhari meets new EFCC Chair at Aso Villa

Why we are seizing Okorocha’s property – Governor Uzodinma

Police Funding: Senate approves N1.3 billion for teargas, N10 billion for others

Army recovers bodies of four soldiers killed in Orlu

He said the selection of a candidate should be in line with competence alone, not ethnicity.

Also, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and Chairman, Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Ango Abdullahi, had reportedly said the region would support a candidate only from the North in the race for Mr Buhari’s successor come 2023.

Mr Ango, a professor, added that zoning has no place or ground in the constitution of the country.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

Killings in 2019

Ms Thomas-Greenfield, who was the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs between 2013 and 2017, also frowned at the level of violence in the 2019 general elections, describing it as a huge step backwards for Nigeria’s democracy.

According to observers and PREMIUM TIMES’ report, the last general elections were marred by vote-buying, intimidation of voters and other irregularities.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in its 2019 election report in July, said an estimated 626 persons were killed across Nigeria in the six months between the start of the election campaign and the commencement of the general and supplementary elections.

“Nigeria made a huge step backward to violence in 2019. I read that 30 people lost their lives to electoral violence but I think it would be higher than that,” she said.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (7)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Corp members to benefit from new minimum wage – Minister

Next Post

INVESTIGATION: Abandoned NDDC school projects litter Rivers Communities

Kunle Sanni

Kunle Sanni

More News

Ekiti State University

Court orders Ekiti State University to reinstate 85 sacked workers

February 25, 2021
National primary health care development agency, NPHCDA.

COVID-19: NPHCDA to train 100,000 health workers ahead of vaccine arrival

February 25, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari receives new EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa [PHOTO CREDIT: @BashirAhmaad]

Buhari meets new EFCC Chair at Aso Villa

February 25, 2021
Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission – NIPC

NIPC management denies allegations by protesting staff

February 25, 2021
Manchester United and StarTimes partnership

Manchester United, StarTimes announce partnership for Nigeria, others

February 25, 2021
Police station used to illustrate the story

Police release details of attack on Abia police station

February 25, 2021
Next Post
Abandoned project at Bundu

INVESTIGATION: Abandoned NDDC school projects litter Rivers Communities

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi (left) and CEO of TMH, Kirill Lipa, signing the MoU on Wednesday.

Nigerian, Russian firms seal deal to develop railway infrastructure, others

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,624,822 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.