•SMBLF executives
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, comprising key socio-cultural organisations such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Pan Niger Delta Forum, today urged political parties to zone their 2027 presidential tickets to Southern Nigeria.
They made the demand at a joint press conference after a crucial session in Abuja.
The regional leaders also threw their weight behind the establishment of state police as part of measures to address the country’s worsening insecurity, reports The PUNCH.
The meeting was attended by leaders of member organisations, including the factional leader of Afenifere and Chairman of the forum, Oba Oladipo Olaitan; President of the Middle Belt Forum, Bitrus Pogu; President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, John Azuta-Mbata; and leader of PANDEF, Godknows Igali.
Also in attendance were delegates from member states, as well as the National Christian Elders Forum led by its 92-year-old Chairman, Dr Samuel Gani.
Addressing journalists, Olaitan recalled the forum’s earlier position ahead of the 2023 elections, insisting that zoning the presidency to the South after former President Muhammad Buhari of northern extraction spent eight years remains critical for national stability.
He said, “We thus admonished all political parties to clearly zone the position of the President of the nation to the South in the interest of national political stability, particularly that such zoning arrangement had been the trend and emerging as part of the national democratic culture since 1999.
“In the above regards, political parties now at their congresses and conventions are advised that their Presidential candidates emerge from Southern Nigeria.”
Beyond the 2027 presidency, the forum raised concerns over the deteriorating security situation across the country, warning that large swathes of Nigeria’s territory remain ungoverned.
“SMBLF, as well as Nigerians at large, are alarmed at the renewed, unabated state of insecurity in the nation. We reiterate our confidence in the Nigerian armed forces and other security institutions and their capacities to protect life, property of Nigerians and their territorial integrity.
“The situation is so worrisome as more than 70 per cent of the national territorial space is ungoverned and unmanned by security personnel. It cannot be overemphasised that security thrives on naturally local intelligence.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the strength of officers under arms, particularly in terms of numbers, is not commensurate with the enormity of the problem,” he stated.
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum also called for a halt to the Federal Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme for former insurgents, while urging communities to defend themselves against attacks.
On structural reforms, the group reiterated its long-standing demand for restructuring and devolution of powers, alongside the creation of state and community policing systems.
“As a minimum action and now the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be amended to ensure state and community police as now ably canvassed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We must have state Police now.
“In this regard, we are pleased to let the nation know of a 12-member Committee of Security Experts to make our contributions to the constitutional modalities of State and Community Police.
“SMBLF insists on the restructuring of the Federation to give the federating ethnic nationalities, and constituent states the required autonomy in tandem with true federalism on which Nigeria was built by our founding fathers,” Olaitan stressed.
The forum also urged the federal government to intensify efforts to address economic hardship, particularly by supporting local refining capacity and reducing reliance on imported petroleum products.
“Furthermore, the meeting calls on the federal government to make redoubled efforts to tackle the suffering of Nigerians in view of the prevailing global economic situation.
“To this effect, we recommend more focused support for local refineries of crude oil and clear programmes to stop the importation of refined products.
“The SMBLF reiterates its commitment to remaining focused on ensuring that the people of Nigeria continue to show greater interest in the governance and building of the nation.”
