Southern Nigeria Governors Demand Next President Should Emerge From South
Seventeen Governors of Nigeria’s southern region are demanding that the next president of the country emerge from the south.
The governors stated this on Monday at the end of the southern governors’ forum meeting held in Lagos State.
The meeting is a follow-up to the earlier meeting in Asaba, the Delta state capital hosted by the state Governor.
Governors of Nigeria’s southern region have rejected in strong terms the removal of electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021.
The governors also rejected the confirmation of exclusive jurisdiction in pre-election matters on the federal high court.
In a communique issued after the meeting on behalf of the governors, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu said the forum also rejected an amendment of the passed Petroleum Industry Bill where a 3 per cent equity participation share for host communities was proposed by the senate.
The forum however supports the 5 per cent share of oil revenue to the host communities as proposed by the House of Representatives.
According to Governor Akeredolu, the forum also rejected in strong terms the proposed 30 per cent share of profits for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins in the frontier states
Last week, Nigeria’s legislature passed the PIB, increasing the frontier basins exploration fund to 30 per cent while reducing equity participation for oil-bearing communities from the proposed 10 per cent to 3 per cent.
