Sule Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa State and ex-Minister of External Affairs, has strongly defended the practice of zoning in Nigeria’s political system. In his upcoming autobiography, Being True to Myself, Lamido emphasizes that zoning is not a curse, but rather a necessary solution to the historical and structural challenges faced by the country. He explains that although zoning is not outlined in Nigeria’s constitution, it emerged as a necessary response to the national instability that followed the annulment of the June 12 elections and the subsequent military rule.
Lamido argues that zoning has played a crucial role in maintaining national unity, pointing to its historical significance. He reflects on the Fourth Republic, recalling how former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Southern Christian, was supported by the Northern political class in 1999. This support, Lamido notes, was a strategic decision aimed at healing the national divide caused by years of military rule. He points out that Obasanjo’s election, though not due to his superiority, was a product of the zoning principle that aimed to ease national tensions.
He also highlights how other prominent figures, such as Chief Bola Ige, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and Chief Jim Nwobodo, accepted zoning for the sake of preserving the country’s fragile unity, despite their competence and popularity. Lamido criticizes those who have benefited from zoning in the past but now denounce it, accusing them of hypocrisy and opportunism. According to Lamido, such views are dangerous and short-sighted.
Lamido asserts that Nigeria’s diverse and fractured society requires a political arrangement that is more nuanced than Western democratic models. He warns that abandoning zoning would undermine the delicate political balance and the moral foundation of Nigeria’s current democratic system. He stresses that zoning was a key factor in the establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1999, and breaking away from it would essentially erase that foundation.
His upcoming book launch in Abuja, expected to attract political leaders and intellectuals, will delve deeper into these issues. Former President Obasanjo is set to be the special guest of honor, while General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) will chair the event.
