A former Zamfara State governor and 2023 presidential aspirant, Senator Sani Yerima, has stated that Southern governors cannot stop his presidential ambition.
He made this statement in reaction to the demand by Southern Governors that the President for the 2023 election should emerge from their region.
Yerima, who has an ambition, therefore, stated on Sunday, that he will only step down from the presidential race if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) zones the ticket to the South.
The erstwhile senator said he had not seen the reason for backing out of the race, not even with the call by the southern governors at their last summit in Lagos.
“Yes, I want to confirm to you that by the special grace of God, if I’m alive, I, Senator Ahmed Sani, intend to vie for presidential office.
“But, you see, if tomorrow my party (APC) comes up and says we have zoned the Presidency to the South, I, Yerima, will follow it. I will then know that it is a decision legally and lawful that is binding on all members of the party.”
Asked if he will opt out of APC should the party favour a southern presidential candidate, to actualise his ambition, Yerima said he was not given to moving from one party to another.
The former governor promised not to leave the APC.
“You see, I am a very religious person. As a Muslim, I know that power comes from God, first. If God has destined that I’m going to be the President, that will not happen. I have never left my party. I started with APP (All Peoples Party); we merged and became ANPP (All Nigerian Peoples Party). Later, we merged and became APC (All Progressives Congress). So, I am a member of APC and I am not in any way thinking of moving from my party to another party.
“So, once there is zoning, I know that my time is up. But I am sure that God Himself will decide, not the people,” he said.
But the ex-governor argued that the agitations by Southern governors and other proponents of power shift are unconstitutional and against democratic norms.”
“So long as the Constitution is still saying citizens of Nigeria and APC constitution is saying ‘citizens of Nigeria’, I am a citizen of Nigeria. I am going to contest.”
