By Stanley Nwanosike
The former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, says political zoning is essential for maintaining national cohesion, inclusion, and equity in Nigeria.
Okechukwu said this on Tuesday in Enugu while responding to questions from newsmen on the statement describing political zoning in Nigeria as “self-defeating” and “intellectually dishonest” credited to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
He dismissed the self-defeating claim as a ”classic case of self-denial, which does not subscribe to the truth and realism”.
Okechukwu stated that zoning is a foundational element designed by statesmen to ensure a sense of belonging across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
Zoning, he said, is seen as a mechanism to prevent the monopoly of power, ensuring that all regions have an opportunity to hold high office.
”If there was no zoning arrangement, could Atiku have become Vice President?”
He cited historical precedents, such as the perceived negative impact of breaching zoning conventions in the 2022 PDP primaries, as reasons why the arrangement should be upheld.
The APC chieftain noted that equity cannot be discussed in fragments or based on convenient arithmetic.
