Recently, the Southern state governors have found their voices over happenings in the country. It seems they have put aside their political party differences aside and decide to take a stand on happenings and issues affecting them in the Nation.
The Southern state governors first made an unprecedented move by declaring a ban on open grazing in their respective state, as if that wasn’t enough slap on the Northern hierarchy, they went further to declare that the presidency must come from the South.
Talk of grabbing the bull by the horn, the Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the governor of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike have declared that VAT collection will be within their territories and not through the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The two governors have stuck to their guns as they have both signed their prospective state’s VAT bill into law
Without even delving into the VAT hullabaloo, it’s clear now that the Southern governors are not backing down, but the big question is:
What’s with this romance?
The seeming romance between the South West and the South South is still something to ponder on.
In my opinion, it’s all about shattering the Northern dominance in 2023, but is that visible?
Four South East governors were absent at the just concluded Southern governors forum held in Enugu last week
If the South East aligns with the North which I don’t see any visibility because of the longstanding bad blood among the two zones, then this could be an exercise in futility for the Southern governors.
It’s no gainsaying the North have the votes, then the South West comes second. Will a combined vote of the Southern block be able to deliver in 2023? I doubt, but it could help in passing bills in the legislative arm if you ask me.
If the Southern governors are to be realistic with their approach, I think it should start from the legislative arm and changing some of the clugs in the constitution that favours a particular region against another
Let the legislative arms make laws that are more geared towards fiscal federalism, but the truth is the North has the voting block and we are a Nation built on depending on one another. Sadly, the other zones have to depend on the North to deliver the numbers if you are eyeing the top executive sit in Abuja.
