Oluwo of Iwo, Osun State, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, on Friday, warned against the North retaining presidential power beyond 2023.
The Iwo monarch said if that should happen, it may further fuel Yoruba Nation agitation.
Oba Akanbi made his position known in a statement by his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Friday.
He warned that Yoruba Nation agitators would be vindicated should the North hold on to power beyond 2023.
He stated that it was the efforts of traditional rulers in the South that de-escalated tension created by the Yoruba Nation agitators.
Oluwo, therefore, appealed to Northern traditional rulers, notable politicians and stakeholders to intervene and ensure power shifts to the South in 2023.
The monarch also appealed to Northern traditional rulers and stakeholders to consider a Southern presidency in the interest of fairness, equity and unity.
He said it would be justice and fairness for power to return to the South at the end of the two-term tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Oluwo’s statement partly read, “I’m a leading natural paramount ruler from Southern Nigeria dousing tensions of the Yoruba Nation agitations. My intervention was to ensure a united Nigeria. Then, the agitators raised many issues for consideration. One of them was the conventional power rotation of the presidency.
“We hope their voice was noted for consideration. We don’t pray to see such a demonstration again. It can be curbed with political fairness ahead of 2023 general election. Politics must not tear the country apart.
“I’m appealing to Northern traditional rulers and stakeholders to consider Southern presidency in the interest of fairness, equity and unity. President Muhammadu Buhari of Northern extraction has almost completed two terms of eight years. In fairness, power should return to the South.
“Retaining power in the North will fuel agitations. We hope some of us who quenched the previous protest will not join should the power remains in the North.”
