2023: Agitations For Zoning Based On Sentiments Rather Than Competence – Ooni Of Ife

The Ooni of Ife and Arole Oodua, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has described the calls for the zoning of the presidency in the 2023 elections, as “based on emotions” rather than competence.

Ooni said this on Friday in a chat with ARISE TV.

There have been calls for political parties to zone their presidential tickets to the south, in what several politicians from the region have described as a move that will be in the interest of “fairness, equity and justice.”

The debate took a new twist earlier in May when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decided to forgo zoning and throw open its presidential ticket.

Adding his voice to the debate, the Ooni urged Nigerians to focus on competence, adding that “emotion has been our problem in this country for a long time, and that is why we are not growing”.

According to the monarch, “The call for zoning is based on emotions. Let us cut the chase and go to the factual things. Who is going to turn around this country, irrespective of emotions and sentiments? We have built our institutions on emotions and sentiment, which is unfortunate because it will not last.

“We have big problems in this country. Who is going to solve them? Let us look at it with our analytical minds other than emotions and sentiments of zoning.

“Let’s look at competence in Nigeria. Emotion has been our problem in this country for a long time, and that is why we are not growing.”