{"id":628,"date":"2021-10-05T16:49:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T15:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coastaltimes557122118.wordpress.com\/2021\/10\/05\/2023-presidency-inc-pandef-states-position-vows-to-resist-zoning-to-north\/"},"modified":"2021-10-05T16:49:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T15:49:31","slug":"2023-presidency-inc-pandef-states-position-vows-to-resist-zoning-to-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2021\/10\/05\/2023-presidency-inc-pandef-states-position-vows-to-resist-zoning-to-north\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 PRESIDENCY: INC, PANDEF States Position, Vows To Resist Zoning To North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Coastal News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Pan Delta Forum, PANDEF, and the Ijaw National Congress, INC, among other coalitions in the Niger Delta have vowed to resist any attempt to zone the 2023 Presidency to the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The groups reiterated that there is an agreement on zoning the Presidency between North and South for eight years, after which other regions get their turn.
Speaking with The Guardian in Port Harcourt, PANDEF\u2019s Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Thompson Okorotie, said: \u201cFirst, the northerners should know that they don\u2019t mean well for this country, if they are asking that the President should come from North in 2023. There is an agreement that zones the Presidency to South and North for two terms”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it would be very unreasonable that after President Muhammadu Buhari spent eight years in office, the North is still asking that the Presidency go again to the region. He urged the South to stand firm and ensure that the right thing is done, if the North insists on its agenda.
\u201cIt is this impunity that has put the country in this mess for so long; we are not making progress. Let leaders do the right thing at all levels of leadership, then we will make progress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On whether the North has genuine voter population to clinch the post, he said he didn\u2019t want to speculate, although it was obvious things went wrong with their acclaimed population figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cINEC should make public genuine registration figures and let results be transmitted. That will solve the problem of genuine voting and voters. We can no longer sleep in our homes, prices of goods have gone up and many Nigerians do not have the income to sustain themselves. So, Nigerians are looking forward to good governance in 2023,\u201d he said.
Similarly, INC\u2019s spokesman, Ezonebi Oyakamegbea, said it is despicable and evil for northerners to demand Presidency in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is an agreement that after eight years, power goes to the South. They used this agreement to push out former President Goodluck Jonathan from office, and they have completed their eight years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, for the sake of justice and in line with the agreement, power should return to the South.
\u201cIf they think the higher census number they have claimed will be used to achieve their agenda, it will not work”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said if the Northerners insist on their agenda, Referendum would be an option for Southerners.
The Chairman, Coalition of Rivers Oil and Gas Host Communities, Barituka Loanyie, said: \u201cNo Niger Delta person will be happy with the Northern agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we are truly practising democracy, then there should not be any issue of minority. They have marginalised us in all aspects\u2014 politically, revenue allocations and all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf some section feel they have the political will and power to do whatever they like in this country, then we are determined to resist such agenda because it is not just selfish, it is cruel, primitive and greedy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Guardians News<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coastal News The Pan Delta Forum, PANDEF, and the Ijaw National Congress, INC, among other…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[213,319],"class_list":["post-628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-inc","tag-pandef"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":814,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2021\/10\/16\/2031-presidency-dont-threaten-us-northern-elders-warns-pandef\/","url_meta":{"origin":628,"position":0},"title":"2031 Presidency: Don\u2019t Threaten Us, Northern Elders Warns PANDEF","author":"Coastal Times","date":"October 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Coastal News Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed. 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Regrettably, these developments have now degenerated into the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/img_6952.jpg?fit=732%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/img_6952.jpg?fit=732%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/img_6952.jpg?fit=732%2C419&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/img_6952.jpg?fit=732%2C419&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5803,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2026\/10\/03\/pandef-sends-sixty-six-hearty-cheers-to-nigeria-calls-for-greater-attention-on-south-south-infrastructure\/","url_meta":{"origin":628,"position":2},"title":"PANDEF SENDS SIXTY-SIX HEARTY CHEERS TO NIGERIA, CALLS FOR GREATER ATTENTION ON SOUTH-SOUTH INFRASTRUCTURE","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"October 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Freeborn AbrayeOn the occasion of the celebration of the country\u2019s 66th independence anniversary, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) sends hearty felicitations to Mr. President, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government and all the people of Nigeria for this landmark celebration. 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TURNER T. 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