Kaduna/Kano — The Northern Political Summit ended yesterday in Kaduna with a resolve to let the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution guide the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in solving the zoning debacle.

Former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) has described the annual democracy day celebrated on May 29 a 'historical fallacy' saying that October 1, the nation's national day, remains the authentic day of the country's freedom from the shackles of colonialism.

In a communiqué read by Professor Jerry Gana, the summit "resolved that the zoning which produced the presidency of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan is an inseparable ticket; and therefore, the demise of one does not invalidate the privileges of the remaining beneficiary of that zoning - and the summit therefore proceeded to call on the leadership of the PDP, to allow the superior provisions of the Nigerian constitution to guide the party in producing guidance and regulations for the conduct of primaries, so as to elect the presidential candidate."

The communiqué said that the summit reached that decision after seriously considering and assessing various positions, view points and options together with related implications for the peace and stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. "In the circumstances," according to the summit, "the most viable option is what has been expressed - that the conduct of the primaries must ensure that the best candidate is given the opportunity to run for the office of president."

To ensure not only credible primaries in the PDP but all elections in general, the summit expressed a strong desire for free, fair and credible election in the country by calling on the INEC chairman and all his commissioners "to do everything in their power to ensure preparations for credible elections come 2011."

"The summit also called on the federal government "to make adequate resources available to the electoral commission to ensure that free and fair and credible elections are conducted in Nigeria."

On the economy, the summit decried the persistent under-development of the Northern part of Nigeria, calling with "strong expression for every effort to be made by those who hold the reins of power to use good governance to bring development to every sector of the economy in the Northern part of Nigeria in terms of infrastructure, education, industries, employment and uplifting the lives of our people."

In his welcome address Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, stated that the summit is a platform for wider consultation in tune with the desires of the Northern Governors' Forum as it affects not just the North but also Nigeria as a whole with regards to justice, unity and national integration, saying, "This outlook therefore, goes beyond looking at only one parameter with regards to power sharing and power rotation in Nigeria.

Chief Solomon Lar, co-chairman of the summit who spoke before the two other co-chairmen stated that the summit was significant because dialogue was essentially important in resolving a critical political situation, noting that zoning was never meant to be a permanent feature in Nigeria's politics, and that day is coming when zoning will become unnecessary.

Earlier, in his opening address at the Summit, Gana listed reasons for holding the Northern Political Summit because of negative insinuation and suspicions surrounding it. According to Gana who was the chairman of the organising committee, the summit was initiated to gauge the stand of the region regarding the politics surrounding zoning and rotation ahead of the 2011 elections.

"We gather here to deliberate wisely over the weighty matters of power sharing and rotation, commonly called zoning. As several delegates would recall, the policy of zoning was adopted by the founding fathers of PDP to resolve the huge crisis that followed the annulment of the June 12 election of 1993. It was through leadership gatherings of this nature the questions of power shift and power rotation was peacefully resolved in 1998/99".

Representing Senate President David Mark, Senator Abubakar Sodangi commended the resilience of all the stakeholders in the North for having agreed to come together and find a road map towards 2011 election. The Senate President said, "We believe very strongly in the indivisibility of the country as one entity; and all of us whatever we are advocating we must continue to see to the preservation of one Nigeria."

In his key note address, Hon. Bayero Nafada, Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, said, "if the North were in the same position as the South found itself under the current circumstances, I believe that we will equally insist on retaining power despite any earlier agreement which took place."

Nafada urged all those pro or against the status quo "to watch their utterances in view of the sensitivity of the issue of the presidency and rotation," adding, "what they must pay attention to should be to build the nation and our nascent democracy."

Presenting the position of the North-Central Zone, Chief Barnabas Gemade stated that their stand hinged on four bases, on the grounds that the country must have free and fair elections, good governance (which he added is another tool through which the region would overcome poverty) and other issues like unemployment and under-development.

On power sharing, he said though it is a PDP arrangement borne out of difficult circumstances, the zone is of the view that the Yar'Adua-Jonathan ticket is inseparable, concluding that any beneficiary of the situation should not be stopped from contesting election, he stressed that they are mindful of the fact that there are two zoning systems, manmade and divine zoning, with that of divine becoming an unforeseen circumstance.

Babangida told newsmen yesterday in Kano shortly after he commiserated with the emir Alhaji Ado Bayero who recently escaped an assassination bid, that May 29 remains a 'historical fallacy' which cannot replace October 1 in historical context.

"May 29 is a historical fallacy. There is nothing extraordinary about that day. It cannot replace October 1 in historical significance. I don't see anything particularly spectacular about democracy day. On the other hand, October 1 is very significant. It was the day the country gained her independence from British rule.

"It was the day the Union Jack was lowered and replaced with Nigeria's flag .It sign posted the beginning of our independence as a sovereign state. So May 29 is a historical fallacy. It cannot be made to replace or look like the day of our independence," he told newsmen yesterday.

Former President Chief Obasanjo instituted the democracy day on every May 29 in 2000AD, a year after he assumed office as a democratically elected president on that day in 1999.Since then ,the day has been observed as a public holiday just like October 1.But several people have kicked against the choice of that day.

Some argued that Obasanjo's declaration of May 29 as democracy day was self-serving as it did not hold any significance other than the fact that he personally made history on that day as the only Nigerian leader to be both head of state and president just 20 years apart.

Babangida who is also a front runner for the presidential ticket of the People Democratic Party (PDP) was reminded of the implications of dismissing 'democracy day' and the likely misinterpretation that it could mean a call for the extension of the handover date to the next elected president from May to October, said that the terminal date of any elected official was guaranteed by the constitution.

"I don't think so, there is no ambiguity in my position on May 29th.All I am saying it is a historical misrepresentation. It can't mean I am canvassing for a shift in the handover date. That is guaranteed by the constitution. What I am saying is that democracy day as we presently know it is bogus lacking in significance as October 1.Besides,why should the handover date be shifted?" Babangida queried.

Last week President Babangida hailed the Chairman of the PDP, Nwodo for recanting an earlier statement credited to him that zoning in the party was dead.

In a press statement personally signed by Babangida, he described Nwodo as a product of zoning and eminently qualified for the job.

Speaking on zoning he said that the zoning arrangement within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not affect his candidacy saying whether the zoning arrangement remained or is jettisoned, it does not matter to him.

General Babangida opined that "anybody who feels he possesses the qualities to lead the country should go to the people and tell people "I want to be a governor, I want to be President, I want to be local government chairman, etc."

According to him, the whole idea of zoning arrangement was devised by the PDP following outcry by people from the south over political domination by the north and, according to him, the party can review that policy at any given time.

He said, the complaint by those Southerners "was genuine and there was a party that said 'yes, if there complaint was genuine let's rotate' and it had the support of the people. Let's rotate in the name of fairness, in the name of justice, in the name of getting everybody involved in how you want to be ruled," he explained.

"PDP devised the zoning arrangement as a party that believed in fairness, it is a party that wants to make sure that everybody participates in the political process of this country. If on the other hand they are satisfied that the objectives of fairness, equity and justice have been achieved, I see nothing wrong in jettisoning that," he said.

The former president maintained that level playing ground should be provided for everybody to aspire for any position. He advocated for openness between candidates and the people. "Here I am, you can scrutinize me, you can subject me to all questions and it is you that determines whether I can be a president, or governor or a chairman of the local government.

"When I say you, I mean you the people because I have come to you. Nobody has come to you to say I want to be a governor, nobody ever subjected himself to be questioned why did he want to be a governor or why is he going to do on reaching there, is the sort of politics that I want see," he said.

Asked of what he would feel if eventually he contests and the election is annulled, IBB enthused; "This time, we are playing democracy, which is government of the people, by the people, for the people using political parties and rule of law. So I can't see it annulled by a democratic society. Don't forget, I ran a military government and that is the fact."