Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has criticised the ongoing debate over zoning the Nigerian presidency, calling it an unproductive approach to leadership selection.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 5, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, the human rights activist argued that Nigerians should prioritise competence over region when choosing a leader.
“If I have a good president in Nigeria who can run this country very well, I don’t care where he comes from.
“That is what the majority of the Nigerian people are aspiring for. That is the idea of this federation, that all the federating units should be able to have an opportunity,” Sowore said.
He noted that the zoning formula often excludes capable candidates and reduces the process to an ethnic or regional affair.
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“When you zone it to the north, the majority of the northerners would want to take a shot at it. When you zone it back to the south, the south of Nigeria is not Yoruba or Igbo alone. It is just senseless,” he added.
According to Sowore, all presidential aspirants deserve equal opportunity to contest, with focus placed on their plans, ideas, and qualifications — not where they come from.
“Zoning the presidency to the worst character in the country is not going to make you get anywhere,” he said.
“Give everybody a chance. That is why they said, ‘Come and contest for president, governor, local government chairman, and present your agenda, speak to us, and we will look at your character, exposure, and vote for you’.”