Jonathan Vatsa

Richard Elesho

A former Commissioner for Information in Niger State, Comrade Jonathan Vatsa has accused northern politicians of taking advantage of the disunity among their southern colleagues, in the discussions on the fast approaching 2023 general elections. He urged the south to unite, if they must achieve their dream in the forthcoming election cycle.

This follows the controversial remarks by the Spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Alhaji Hakeem Baba Ahmed suggesting that the north will continue to cling to power after the tenure of President Muhammodu Buhari.

Vatsa, while speaking to journalists in Minna, the Niger State capital, also accused some Southern politicians of always licking the boots of their Northern colleagues to the detriment of the political development of their region.

New Telegraph reports that Vatsa, who was one time Information Commissioner in the administration of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, also took a swipe on the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai over his comments on the country’s presidency come 2023, saying: “Until such a time that the South will unite, speak and act with one voice the north will continue to dominate the political landscape of Nigeria.

He added that “the Northern politicians and other elites have discovered the weaknesses of their Southern counterparts. They explore these weaknesses and use it to their advantage.

“One strong weapon the North is holding and capitalising on is the disunity among the Southern political elites; it has been there since independence. Again, the North sponsors crisis among them because there are people from the South who are more loyal to the North than even their own people.

“The truth is, when you have that kind of situation, it will be difficult for the south to come together,” Vatsa said.