The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary explained power as ability or authority to control, govern, command, coerce, etc., such as in legal, political or business sphere. The Dictionary further explained Political Power as political control or command over people.
Connotatively, power entails everything about leadership, rulership, and or governance especially in government structure over people under the jurisdiction of a given territory such as: sovereign State, component State, local or regional area, etc.
In Nigeria's democracy where we practice federal system of government though partial federalism, we have three tiers or components of government which include; Federal, States and Local Government Areas. We also practice partial presidential system of government in which we said to have separation of powers among the three arms of the government; executive, legislature and judiciary.
The current democracy which started in 1999 brought six geopolitical zones to Nigeria with Northern region having three which include: North East, North West and North Central, while Southern region also have three of its own: South East, South West and South South.
With the adoption of this six geopolitical zones into the 1999 democracy's constitution which is the current national and general law document of Nigeria it has been automatically taken over and defuncted North and South regions structure of political power sharing in the country.
Though, it is obvious all over the world that democracy is not government of zoning or power rotation rather government that gives victory to the majority hence, its layman's definition as government of the people by the people and for the people, but the heterogeneous nature and diversity of Nigeria made it possible that almost all the political powers at the national level are shared on zoning arrangement for equity and justice as it is one of the key bond of Nigeria's unity. Unfortunately the zoning arrangement so far since 1999 as regards the positions of the president and vice president has been a borne of contention where some zones among the six geopolitical zones have been continually marginalized and denied what ought to be their birthright.
At the inception of this current democracy in 1999, South West was given the grace of producing the second democratically elected president of Nigeria in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, while North East took the slot of vice president in the person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Between 2007 and 2010 North West in the person of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua took its half slot while South South was favoured with the vice presidential slot in the person of Goodluck Jonathan. The game changed in 2010 as the result of President Yar'Adua's death which saw Goodluck Jonathan his Deputy from South South taken over the number one seat of the nation while Namadi Sambo from North West was given the vice presidential slot to deputize Jonathan.
In 2015 Muhammadu Buhari from North West was given a chance to the hallowed seat of the nation's presidency while Prof. Yemi Osinbajo from South West deputized him as vice president. This current administration that started in 2023 saw Bola Ahmed Tinubu from same South West again taken over the mantle of leadership as number one citizen of Nigeria while Kashim Shettima from same North East was given the position of vice president.
The question yet to answer as asked by late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu remains "where is the justice?" as regards South East and North Central geopolitical zones in the political power sharing of this current Nigerian democracy. Though, North Central may be consoled of many slots they took during military regime considering that Retd. Gens. Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar were all from the zone but, what consolation should Nigeria power brokers tell South East to take over this injustice of unequal power sharing?
Imagine, South West has produced two presidents and one vice president; South South one president and one vice president; North East two vice presidents and North West two presidents and one vice president all from 1999 of this current democracy.
Is this really democracy when justice is been suppressed and swept into pits of hell?
One of the most disheartening aspect of it was the narrative brought during 2023 general elections where some persons were only fighting for presidential position of Southern Nigeria extraction. Here comes another question, "constitutionally do we still have something like Southern or Northern region in political zoning arrangement considering the fact that this 1999 constitution only recognized the six geopolitical zones as the political component zones (not regions) of the nation? Even if there was legal or constitutional justification for North and South zoning arrangement, the question would have been "which part of the South was its turn to produce the president or vice president?" and the same question when it gets to North.
Though personally, I don't even believe in this zoning arrangement system of democracy as it aides mediocrity instead of meritocracy but, as it has been adopted as a political tradition of this nation why is it so difficult doing it in equity, fairness and justice?
Nigerian power brokers and indeed all Nigerians of voting ages should rise and right this wrong come 2027 general elections by voting for the candidates selected on any political platform of equity and justice as this will strengthen the bond of unity and peaceful coexistence as well bring an end to marginalization of some parts of this country which has brought agitations by different groups.
The National Assembly should as well retouch with amendments some sections of the 1999 constitution in the ongoing constitutional review to make it specifically mandatory for equitable rotation of the positions of president and vice president among the six geopolitical zones and completely scrap the ambiguity of North and South zoning structure.
Together we shall build a Nigeria of our dreams and that of our founding fathers filled with equity, justice, fairness, peace and unity.
Moses Nnabuife Nwekwu.
News Manager/Editor (Broadcast Journalist).
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