The Coalition of Civil Society Groups has urged political parties to zone their 2023 presidential ticket to the South in order to justify fairness and equity.

The coalition said it has been mobilising young Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The coalition President, Bassey Williams, on Friday, said said the North has had its fair share of the nation’s leadership and should, therefore yield the presidency to the South.

He said, “We have watched with keen interest various agitations across the zones of our federating units and we come up with the agenda of championing and clamouring for power shift to the South come 2023.

“There is no doubt that the North has had its fair share of the country’s leadership and now, it is time to zone the Presidency to the Southern part of Nigeria, which in our opinion, deserves it.”

Williams further argued that the political parties cannot exist without the nation, stressing that national interest should override the personal interest of those clamouring for the North to retain power in 2023.

“Let it be known that there won’t be either the All Progressives Congress or Peoples Democratic Party if there is no country called Nigeria. The national interest must override the personal interest of those pushing the parties to jettison the conventional rotation agenda on the Presidency,” he added.

The group maintained that the nation was already overwhelmed by insecurity and other social and economic challenges, warning politicians not to compound her woes.