Dethroned Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll, says zoning the 2023 presidency will end up in Nigerians choosing between two “useless candidates.”

“I have always objected to this idea of we focusing on where the president comes from,” Mr Sanusi told Arise TV on Friday.

“This is why at the end of the day we will end up as Nigerians being presented with two equally useless candidates,” he said.

Mr Sanusi said zoning should be added to the constitution if it was effective in stabilising the country, stating that Nigerian politicians used zoning as a divisive tool to scheme for power.

“This whole thing (zoning) is about maneuvering ethnic sentiment and regional sentiment to corner the presidency to one part of the country and then the big masquerades who are behind it will now begin to come out,” Mr Sanusi said.

“We have a constitution and whatever we think are necessary for stability of this country, we should put them in the constitution. There are constitutions in the world that provides for rotational presidency,” he added.

Mr Sanusi’s statement comes amid calls from Southern governors that the next president come from the region after President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office in 2023.

Last week, Northern governors opposed call for power shift to southern Nigeria, describing it as unconstitutional.