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Ahead of 2023 general elections, Nigeria’s leading researchers, investigators and advocates on democracy and good governance, human rights and rule of law and citizens’ security and safety, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has respectfully informed twenty-seven (27) top federal authorities and respected foreign missions in Nigeria that “the Presidency of the South East extraction and balancing of the country’s key federal offices are non-negotiable and inexcusably practicable in 2023”.

The Intersociety also stated that “the age-long “born to rule and born to be ruled” using radical sectionalism and faith practices must be put to an end and the country smoothly moved to the next level within the confines of its founded and constitutionalized multicultural and multi-religious pluralism”.

Intersociety, which is a globally rated voice on democracy, good governance, human rights and rule of law had on 7th March 2022 written to twenty-seven (27) key federal establishments and foreign missions, prayerfully urging them to conceptualize (as internal policy direction and international policy on Nigeria) the ‘intellectual roadmap’ for peaceful transition of top federal seats of power in Nigeria in 2023.

The key seats of power under reference include offices of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of House of Reps, Deputy Speaker of House of Reps, Chief Justice of Nigeria, President of the Court of Appeal, Attorney General of the Federation, Solicitor General of the Federation, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director General of SSS (DSS) and Director General of National Intelligence Agency. This is also inclusive of others numbering not less than 1,083 captured in the ‘Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.) (Amendment) Act of 2008’

The Intersociety’s Five-Page Joint Letter was addressed to 13 Nigeria’s key federal establishments and the country’s Chairman of the APC Governors Forum/Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (Ekiti State Governor) and the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (Sokoto State Governor).

Others include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the President of the Senate and 108 other Senators through the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Speaker of House of Reps and 359 other House of Reps Members through the Clerk of the National Assembly, Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Chairman of the Federal Character (Geopolitical & Ethno-Religious Equity Commission), Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Defense and that of Foreign Affairs; Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the principal officers of the Intersociety, in a statement, the letter was copied to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Twelve key foreign missions that recieved the letter are the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mexican Ambassador to Nigeria, Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria and Martin Ejidike, PhD, who is the Chief of Office in the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Prevent at UN Headquarters, New York, USA.

The Joint Letter was successfully delivered by our lawyers to all its recipients on 4th, 8th and 9th of March 2022 with all the stamped or signed acknowledgement copies obtained.

The Joint Letter was Intersociety’s intellectual contribution for peaceful transition of seats of power in Nigeria in 2023 and a working document aimed at ending the decades long ‘born to rule and born to be ruled’ in the country.

The Joint Letter also sought to end “winners take all” and allayed fears of the other ethno-religious components regarding the possibility of feeling being ‘lost out’ or segregated or excluded on account of ascendance to the Presidential Seat of Power by another Ethnic Nationality or Geopolitical Zone (i.e. Southeast Geopolitical Zone).

The Letter was also aimed at safeguarding the life of the country’s next President and preventing him/her from emerging as “a lonely or stranger President” or “President surrounded by zealots or extremists from ethno-religiously radicalized geopolitical zone or zones” especially conservative advocates of “born to rule and born to be ruled”.

The Statement concluded thus:

Finally, our Joint Letter sought to strengthen the spirit and letters of the country’s Constitution regarding its multicultural and religious democratic pluralism.

Ethno-Religious Balancing Of 18 Top Federal Public Offices And Others In 2023

For purpose of ensuring geopolitical, ethnic and religious balancing in 2023, the following eighteen top elective and appointive federal offices shall be shared as follows:

South East Region – President of Nigeria (Christian/non Muslim), North East – Vice President (Muslim), North Central – Senate President (Christian/non Muslim), South West – Speaker House of Reps (Muslim/Christian), South-South – Deputy Senate President (Christian/non Muslim), North West – Deputy Speaker of House of Reps (Muslim).

From the angle of Security/Service Chiefs:

South East – Inspector General of Police (Christian/non Muslim), North East – Chief of Defense Staff (Muslim), North Central – Chief of Army Staff (Christian/non Muslim), South West – Director General of State Security Services (Muslim), South-South – Chief of Naval Chief (Christian/non Muslim) and North West – Chief of Air Staff (Muslim).

From the angle of top judicial officers: South East – Chief Justice of Nigeria (Christian/non Muslim), North East – Attorney General of the Federation (Muslim), North Central – President of the Court of Appeal (Muslim), South West – Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (Christian/non Muslim), South-South – Solicitor General of the Federation (Christian/non Muslim) and North West – Chief Judge of the FCT High Court (Muslim).

On the same note, all the top executive offices/bodies listed under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution as well as other top federal agencies and parastatals and officer corps of the Armed Forces and their equivalents in the Nigeria Police Force, SSS, NIA and Paramilitaries shall be shared in full compliance with the country’s multicultural, ethnic and religious compositions using the six geopolitical zonal or regional arrangements.

In the country’s security and defense establishments, for instance, there are no fewer than 1300 top police officers including one IGP, eight DIGs, 30 AIGs, 100 CPs, 280 DCPs, 550 ACPs and 960 CSPs.

In the Army, not less than 1000 commissioned Army Officers abound with similar numbers likely the case in the Navy and Air Force as well as the Service (Intelligence) and the Paramilitary Agencies.

It is the insistence of Intersociety that all the promotions and postings involving all their officer corps must reflect structural/geopolitical and ethno-religious balancing in line with Constitutional Sections 14 (3) (geopolitical balancing), 15 (4) (sense of belonging in federal office appointments), 17 (freedom, equality and justice), 42 (freedom from structural and personality discrimination during appointments), 217 (3) (composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the Armed Forces of the Federation must reflect federal character or geopolitical balancing) and 10 (Government of the Federation or a State must not adopt any religion as State Religion).

Revisiting Nigeria’s Democratic Dispensations And Their Geopolitical Leaders Since 1957

In the Nigeria’s democratic dispensations since its colonial transition in 1957-1960, the country was executively governed by Late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa as Prime Minister from present Bauchi State in the North East Region who was in office till 1966.

Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the ceremonial or non executive President from 1960-1966. Revisited and considered too was the Presidential Democracy of 1979-1983 and that of 1999-2023.

Rejected was the military era governance of 1966-1979 and 1983-1999. This is because military involvement in public governance is an aberration and can never be cited or counted.

Therefore, looking at the occupation of the country’s executive prime ministerial and executive presidential seats of power since its transitional period in 1957 and most importantly its executive presidency since 29th May 1999, it is found that the most cheated geopolitical zones or regions are Regions of the Southeast and the North East.

The North Central, which ought to be the third most cheated, was found not to have stayed too long away from the executive presidential seat of power.

From the perspective of fairness and equity, the Southeast Region is eminently qualified to produce the next President of Nigeria in 2023 and it has no rival in this respect.

This is because the North East Region where Late Sir AbubakarTafawa Belewa came from (Bauchi State) had held the country’s executive prime ministerial seat from transitional period of 1957-1960 and from 1960-1966, a period of nine years.

In all, the North West Region had occupied the country’s elective/executive presidency from 1979-1983, 2007-2010 and 2015-2023; a total of fifteen years, South West Region 1999-2007; a total of eight years and South-South Region 2010-2015; a total of five years.

Therefore, the South East Region which had never occupied democratically and executively elected presidential seat since independence, is eminently the next in line, to be followed afterwards by North East and North Central Regions.

That is to say that SW, SS and NW must wait for their turns and support the Southeast in 2023 .

Signed: For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

Principal Officers: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche Esquire and Chidimma Udegbunam Esquire

Intersociety Contacts: Phone/WhatsApp: +23474090052, Email: info@intersociety-ng.org Website: https://intersociety-ng.org

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