The Southern Governors’ Forum Of Nigeria Met Recently. Here Is Why You Should Care.
On Monday, July 5, 2021, 16 governors from the Southern states of Nigeria gathered in Lagos for a crucial meeting where they discussed burning national issues pertaining to security, federal allocations and political representation.
This was the second gathering of the Forum in two months, as a similar meeting had been convened on May 11, 2021, to address the issue of insecurity in the region. It was in that meeting that a ban on open grazing was officially declared across the Southern region.
At the end of Monday’s meeting, the Forum issued a communique that reaffirmed its stance on open grazing, and also expressed the intention of the Southern governors to introduce state police. The communique, which was signed by Ondo State governor Rotimi Akeredolu, contained a number of resolutions made by the Forum, which could change the political landscape of the country if fully implemented.
The second resolution of the communique stated as follows:
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness and unanimously agrees that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between Southern and Northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the Southern Region.”
This could come across as a bold statement from the Southern governors, but the reasoning behind this resolution is not far-fetched. In the 61-year history of Nigeria, the only Southerners that have ruled as President of the country are Nnamdi Azikiwe, Aguiyi Ironsi, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ernest Shonekan, and Goodluck Jonathan. In the current administration, many key positions are occupied by Northerners. The decision of the Forum may sound partisan, but the region is very right to feel short-changed when it comes to leadership in Nigeria. For the sake of optics, many insist, it is best to operate a rotational policy.
According to the third resolution in the communique, the Forum resolved “that if for any reason security institutions need to undertake an operation in any State, the Chief Security Officer of the State must be duly informed.” This resolution is particularly important, given the circumstances in which the Department of State Security (DSS) invaded the residence of social crusader Sunday Igboho. It is widely believed that the raid was conducted without the knowledge of Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State.
The governors also frowned at “selective criminal administration of Justice” and resolved that “arrests should be made within the ambit of the Law and fundamental human rights.” The prevailing sentiment behind this resolution is that the government’s security agencies have repeatedly violated the constitution in the process going after Sunday Igboho and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), while treating Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) with kids’ gloves.
The Forum set a timeline of September 1, 2021, for the enactment of anti-grazing laws across all Southern states. This resolution is a statement of intent from the southern governors to protect the region’s farmlands: there have been so many reports of attacks on farmers by violent Fulani herders in the past couple of years.
The governors of the Southern States rejected the decision of the National Assembly to remove the requirement of electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act. There have been calls to amend the current Electoral Act, and the Forum is clearly of the opinion that allowing for electronic transmission of results would strengthen the electoral process and reduce the possibility of manipulation.
The Forum went on to kick against the proposed clause in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that allocates only 3% of oil revenue to the host community, insisting on the 5% recommended by the House of Representatives. These communities have suffered from the effects of oil spillage and environmental degradation over the decades, and it’s possible that the Forum deems 3% to be too little in terms of remuneration.
Among other things, the gathering of the Forum and the resolutions passed in Monday’s meeting signify the intention of the Southern governors to push for balance in the conduct of affairs by the current federal administration. Many observers feel that it’s long overdue, but if these decisions are fully implemented, governance in the Southern region would be heavily impacted. There have been comments in certain quarters suggesting a “gang-up”: Sani Yabagi, national chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), described the demands contained in the communique as “divisive” and “unhealthy.” However, the main thrust of the resolutions made by the governors is equity and fairness; the imbalance in governance is too obvious. It now remains to be seen whether the Forum has the courage to back up its words with concrete actions.
