Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has added his voice to the controversy over the zoning of elective offices ahead 2023 general elections.
Chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been divided on the geo-political zone to produce the next presidential candidate after President Muhammadu Buhari from Katsina State in the North-West geo-political zone.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, the former Lagos State governor said the Nigerian Constitution did not preclude anyone from the six geopolitical zones to vie for the highest political office in the country even as he appealed to the political elite to show fidelity to the gentleman agreement in their respective political parties.
He said:” First let’s talk about law, let’s talk about the agreement, the law is the Constitution.
“The Constitution decides the age which you can contest certain offices and there is nothing in the Constitution that says zoning. All our political parties, political parties are clubs where you write agreements just like a social club and we can decide that it is the youngest person who will be the Chairman of the Club or we can decide that it is the oldest person or the next female or the next male, that is the matter of agreement between people.
“But the Constitution that sets up the climate of political parties formation does not prescribe zoning. The truth is that what makes an agreement specification is the honour in which it is made not whether it is written. If it was written, there would be no Court cases of breach of contract because it’s a document that is written and signed that go to court. But the private agreement you make with your brother and sister can be breached.”
On the opposition against the extension of tenure for the interim national leadership of the party led by Yobe State governor, Mallam Mai Mala Buni, the Minister of Works appealed to all stakeholders in the ruling party to extend hands of cooperation to the Governor Buni led team to make them succeed.
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“Now in terms of of the Caretaker Committee, perhaps this is a good opportunity. The first meeting of APC don’t forget, what became APC, the first meeting was convened in my official residence in Lagos, 11 of us and some of you were asking what we were doing, 11 Governors and I said you just watch but after that, there is a bigger responsibility.
“If there is a crisis, that has now led us to have a Caretaker Committee, we must also respect the Caretaker Committee, let it do its job. Those of us who didn’t contest to hold party offices, let’s focus on our jobs too and stop bashing in each other’s room. So, every support that the Caretaker Committee requires we will provide if it’s within our reach to do so. I am in touch with him at the end of the day we are governed by rules. I know quite a number of them on a personal basis.
“So let’s support them to achieve the immediate mandate of their responsibility and they brought some stability, at least we won an election,” he said.
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