I’m not running for presidency in 2023 — El-Rufai •Backs return of power to the South after Buhari
GOVERNOR Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna state has hinted that he is not going to seek or stand for the presidential election in 2023. He also said that the best thing is for power to go to the South after President Muhammad Buhari must have completed his tenure.
El-Rufai made his views known while speaking with BBC Hausa on Saturday. “Many people have said I am interested in vying for the highest office in the land since I was a minister in Abuja. But I think this is wishful thinking. But I have never sought to be president of Nigeria.
“I know God gives power to whom He likes, whether that person wants it or not. But the truth is, I have never said I will seek or contest for the president of Nigeria. Nobody will tell you I have ever contacted him for that,” he said. Governor El-Rufai also said referring to the unwritten agreement for presidential power to oscillate between the North and the South, saying “in Nigeria, we have a clear and acceptable way of power succession which has been in practice over the years.
“We have agreed for power shift between the North and South where everybody agreed that North should rule for eight years after that the South will take over and rule for eight years. According to El-rufai, even though there is no written arrangement on power shift, every politician worth his salt knows of the arrangement. “That’s why I come out now to say that after President Buhari finishes his tenure, no politician in the North should come out and seek the office in 2023. Let us support the South to produce the next president who will succeed Buhari,” he said.
The Kaduna State governor further noted that even though he is in support of power shift to the South, the person who will eventually emerge must be competent to rule the country. El-Rufai argued that even in all the places he held positions those he appointed to help him were never based on where they came from. “I looked for someone who could deliver. Someone who is entrusted with public trust will not be found wanting,” he said.
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