I cannot believe that there are still some “minority” tribes in Northern Nigeria or better still  the middle belt that can still fall for the dummy called Northern Nigeria. With the continuous barrage and sustained attacked on Plateau State by the Muslim Hausa/Fulani. The sustained attack on the minority tribes of Sayawas in Bauchi, the Bachamas in Adamawa, the Katafawas and Bajju in Kaduna. The recent tension generated in Kaduna by the appointment of Patrick Yakowa as governor is still fresh in our mind.

The haste with which Professor Daniel Saror's tenure as the Vice Chancellor of ABU Zaria was terminated is still fresh in our mind. All the effort made to short change Professor Andrew Nok from the Vice Chancellorship of ABU Zaria is still fresh in our mind. Just last week, elders in Adamawa State raised concerns about how the Nyako administration has effectively discriminated against the other 102 tribes in Adamawa State but the Fulani.

It was just like yesterday when military officers from the minority tribes of the Middle belt especially from Benue State, Plateau State and Nasarawa State were completely wiped out by the Northern oligarchy spearheaded by General Babangida. Those murdered that easily came to mind were Majors Tobias Akwashiki, Gideon Orkar,  Colonel Bitiyong, Ben Sakala and Navy Cdr Andrew Ogwuji. Greater number of these military officers were from Benue State.

The ordeal of the late JS Tarka in the hands of the oligarchy is yet again still fresh in our mind. Even as recent as 2007, the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi  was refused honour by the Northern oligarchy even in death.

My question now is that what is the rationale of people from Benue, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau State and Taraba calling for power shift to the North? While in the real sense of it the power shift is to the North West. Even persons from Borno, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi will discover they cannot benefit from  power shift to the North! The only way to guarantee power to any Northern minority tribes of Tiv, Idoma, Berom, Bachama, Gwari, Bajju, and all the other smaller tribes in the North is support for one man, one vote.

All those minority tribes that participated in the Abuja meeting are simply deceiving themselves. They must and ought to have known by now that the idea of zoning the presidency to the North is simply the Hausa/Fulani agenda as any attempt by Tiv man, Idoma man, Igala man Kataf man will be vehemently resisted by the oligarchy. Let charity begin at home first. Let zoning start in Northern states like Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Niger, Kaduna, Kebbi, Yobe, Nasarawa and even Kwara State. Let us see a Tangale man become the governor of Gombe State. Let us see a

Sayawa man or Bolewa man become the governor of Bauchi State. Let us see a Zuru man become the governor of Kebbi State. We cannot claim one North only when it comes to claiming the presidency from Southern Nigeria. The same group of people who have been sponsoring ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Tivs, Idomas, Beroms, Igalas in Jos cannot turn around and curry favour from the same people.

I expect people like Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr Iyorcha Ayu, Professor Daniel Saror and Chief Yakubu Tsala that are on the northern committee for 2011 election to ask for the northern presidential slot to be zoned to a northern minority tribe this time for the sake of equity and justice.

But how can good people associate with enemies of democracy? How can good people really associate and dine and wine with those who annulled the June 12, 1993 election? I remember Dr Ayu was the then Senate President and his tenure was cut short by the same people he is colluding with now.

Just like the PDP gentlemanly agreement for rotational presidency that is being harped on now, let there be gentlemanly agreement in these states I listed above for rotation or zoning of the governorship seat in those states. I expect this matter to come up on the agenda of the 148 northern committee members when they convene for their next meeting. After all what is good at federal level is surely good at state level.A word is enough for the wise. Liberate your children and your children's children now. Democracy however is about choice and one man one vote.

Ndiameeh Babrik  ndiame_2005@yahoo.co.uk

Between Rear-Admiral Murtala Nyako and Adamawa Elders' Forum Where lies the Truth?-By  Ndiameeh Babrik