2023 Presidency: Zoning, State Policing Not The Solution — Yahaya Bello

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has rejected the demand for zoning of the presidency and creation of State Police.

The governor said what Nigeria needs today is the best brain to captain it, noting that community policing is better than state police.

Bello, while speaking during the first annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents in Abuja, yesterday, said instead of rotational presidency, Nigeria deserves the best brains to manage it.

“The country is like a ship that deserves the best captain to direct it at this period. There had been zoning of the presidency during the 16 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). What have been our achievements?

“If zoning will solve our problems, former President Olusegun Obasanjo would have solved the challenges facing the Southwest. His successor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua would have solved the problems of the North while erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan would also have solved the issues in Niger Delta. Even President Muhammadu Buhari would have put a stop to problems in the North.

“I am not saying they did no try in the circumstances they found themselves but it shows that zoning would not bring solution to our challenges in Nigeria,” he said.

Bello said zoning is neither in the constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor in the 1999 Constitution.

The governor said if Nigeria should continue with rotation of the presidency “then in the interest of justice, fairness and equity, going back to 1999, all other geo-political zones in Nigeria had produced president and vice president except North Central and Southeast.

North Central has not produced a president since 1999 but let us leave that and go for the best person to drive the country. Today, the younger generation is taking charge and ruling their countries well.”

On State Police, Bello said community policing, which he has experimented and it worked in Kogi is the best.

“At some point, Nigerians agitated for state electoral commission to conduct council elections. Today the same Nigerians are clamouring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should come and conduct council elections because of what some people had turned local government elections to in their states.

“I can vouch for myself to use State Police appropriately if it is in Kogi but I cannot vouch for somebody else in his state. Community police are better and a lot of crimes we have today are political,” Bello said.

Guardian