THE Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, ROTIMI AKEREDOLU, has insisted that the southern part of the country must produce the next president of the country.

ROTIMI AKEREDOLU, in a statement has warned the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress against giving the presidential ticket to a northern aspirant so as not to put the party in a crisis.

While the Southern Senators supported the governor’s statement, saying the presidential aspirations of politicians from the South were legitimate, the Coalition of Northern Groups described AKEREDOLU’S statement as a threat to the unity of the country.

This comes after the ondo State Governor, OLUWAROTIMI AKEREDOLU has urged the national leadership of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) to immediately make a pronouncement on which zone will produce the presidential candidate of the party.

AKEREDOLU said the principle of rotational representation guided the party’s leadership decision at the just-concluded national convention.

In a reaction, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator OPEYEMI BAMIDELE, said that the 1999 constitution captured the issue of rotational presidency.