Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) has said the clamour for a northern Presidency in 2023 would amount to the north seeking a third term in office.
Such move, he said, is unconstitutional.
The Senator also opposed the call for amnesty for repentant bandits, insisting as criminals bandits should be made to face the full weight of the law.
The former Senate Leader lamented while the nation was on the brink of collapse, many “Nigerians still trivilaise, tribalise and give the situation religious coloration. We are now in this sorrow state”.
He said no northern should be fielded in 2023 for the presidential poll.
According to him: “I am against APC producing its presidential candidate from the north. The APC presidential candidate should come from the south.
“If you have the presidential candidate of the APC from the north, it is tantamount to third term and to me, it is constitutional.
“The constitution says the President should serve two terms and we say the north should serve two terms.
“If you say the north should produce the President again, it means you are going for third term which is not fair. I believe in fair, justice and equity.”
He added: “Let the candidate come from the south. However, you cannot say you want to be the head of the house, and at the same time, calling for the division of the House.
“That is what is giving the Northerners the opportunity to say they want to be the President again because if you want to be the President of Nigeria, you must believe in the unity of Nigeria.
“If you want the country to be divided, which Nigeria are you going to be president of? So, for me, I support a candidate from the south, anywhere in the south.
“If you ask me, I will say each of the three zones in the south should bring one or two candidates and let us go to the convention for Nigerians, especially the APC to decide and whoever emerges will be given the support to win the election”.
Speaking on calls by Islamic scholar for the government to grant amnesty to bandits, Ndume said: “My position on this is well known. Starting from the programme of deradicalisation of Boko Haram members, I have been totally against it. I contemplated going to court to stop.
“You can’t have people perpetuating criminality and you give them starter packs. Maybe many people will then contemplate becoming bandits. That is not the way to go.”

By Tony Akowe