By Jeff Ejiofor

According to Alhaji Tanko Yakassi, a northern leader and former Liaison Officer to Late President Aliyu Usman Shehu Shagari, for Nigeria to enjoy political stability, unity across the country and a sense of equity, the presidency and other key national offices should be rotated and shared among the country’s geo-political zones. From this statement of fact credited to a renowned elder statesman of northern extraction, it is implicitly clear that the word zoning did not evolve in the lexicon of Nigerian political dictionary today. It is basically as old as Nigeria, especially its presidential democracy which started in 1979 during the second republic.

In fact, political zoning was first introduced in Nigeria by the then National Party of Nigeria, NPN, which we all know, was the first political party that was accepted nationwide in Nigeria as everybody’s party. No individual or a group of Nigerians ever allocated to themselves the ownership of NPN. Everybody was a joint owner of the party. It was because of that, that NPN thought of developing the concept of zoning in order to assure every member and every segment of Nigeria that the exotic office of the president would one day rotate to their area or zone.

Apparently, that was the reason the idea of zoning kept coming up in all political conferences that took place after NPN, and has been adopted by some conferences as a provision in the Nigerian Constitution. Under Late Gen. Sani Abacha’s constitutional conference of 1994/1995, it was recommended, and the military accepted that it should be incorporated into the constitution of Nigeria, but in a way that it will form the basis of registration criteria for every political party. Unfortunately, Abacha died in 1998 and the reforms died with him, making the realisation of the concept as a constitutional matter abortive.

However, since then, the majority of Nigerians have accepted zoning as a very good strategy that will give everybody in Nigeria a sense of belonging.Those who are able to get the position to their side will be satisfied and acknowledged and those who have yet to get it, were assured that they will get it when the time comes. So, now you cannot separate zoning from rotation, because zoning without rotation is meaningless. Whoever adopts zoning automatically adopts rotation, and whoever rejects zoning, automatically rejects rotation.

For those who hold draconian views about merit being the exclusive right of certain persons or group of persons, they should know that there is no part of Nigeria today that competent people are not found. It is undisputable that every local government in Nigeria today has competent and qualified Nigerians to seek any public office, be it elective or appointive. So, the issue of using merit or competence to de-market zoning is baseless and mischievous.

Those who on the other hand, query the constitutionality of zoning are either insincere or ignorant of the realities of Nigerian system. Such people should tell us what quota system is all about. Let them tell us what the federal character principle is doing in our system.They should also interpret the Schedule 3 of Nigerian constitution which states that political offices should be shared among the component units of the country in such a way that every part is evenly represented at all times. It is indeed lack of in-depth understanding that anybody will regard zoning as unconstitutional. In short, metaphorically speaking, zoning is constitutional and has abinitio been practised in Nigeria.

As a result of the above reality, in1999 when the whistle for the third republic political activities was blown, Nigerians were quick to resurrect the issue of zoning and it became the most popular slogan in the country’s political parlance. Across the length and breath of Nigeria, the issue of zoning became a matter of political exigency synonymous with justice, equity and fairness. Proposal for its adoption was practically seen as the only suiting balm to settle the protracted political impasse precipitated by the annulment of June 12 presidential election presumably won by Late Chief MKO Abiola.

Recall that Chief Abiola died in the custody of Nigerian government while struggling to reclaim his mandate. As a matter of fact, zoning which was seen by most Nigerians as the only vehicle for political justice where the right of every Nigerian will be protected, became generally acceptable. It came to the rescue and eventually pulled Nigeria out of the precipice and doldrums of political quagmire, part of which was the zoning of presidency to the South West by the two major political parties with a view to pacifying them for the injustice of June 12,1993.

Expectedly, Enugu State, being one of the prominent states in Nigeria, saw the need to align with the generality of Nigerians whose states have embraced zoning anchored on political justice and sense of belonging. Enugu keyed into the zoning policy which is regarded as the most politically expedient practice in Nigeria capable of ensuring peace and stability where everybody is happy.

In pursuance of this noble objective, the elders of the state at that time, bearing in mind the bitter political rivalry always occasioned by free for all fight politics as was the case between Dr.Joe Nwodo and Senator Hyde Onuaguluchi in the 3rd republic, decided to reach a gentleman understanding on a power sharing formula among the existing three senatorial political structure of the state.Though it was more prominent in the ruling People’s Democratic Party, all other political groups that tried to thwart the arrangement were met with stiff resistance by Ndi Enugu who roundly rejected them at the polls for trying to usurp justice and equity charter of the people.

It honestly beats my imagination to see people seeking to destroy a lofty policy carefully contrived to ensure justice in the system. It beats my imagination that people can exhibit such significant sign of short memory to the point of attempting to reverse the hand of the clock for primitive personal aggrandizement. I am dumbfounded that after seeing the endless political turmoils in states that refused to practise zoning, some people, out of sheer greed can still wish their home states such an ugly experience. I never imagined that any right thinking citizen of any Nigerian state can advocate free for all fight politics in any part of Nigeria. Above all, I did not believe before now that any Enugu man can work against zoning which has brought peaceful and seamless transition of power in Enugu State.

In conclusion, my candid advice is that people should desist from insulting the sensibilities of others in their subtle bid to destroy a well established political principle, norm and tradition of Enugu people. Zoning has always been a part and parcel of Nigerian system and did not start today. Let nobody, because of ill acquired public wealth, arrogate to himself a leviathan political status in a state collectively owned by over 4 million people. Enugu State belongs to all of us and the political tranquility achieved by our amiable and peace loving Governor, Rt Hon Dr Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi should not be taken for granted.
A stitch in time saves nine.

Enugu is in the hands of God

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