Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The quest for power shift to the South -in 2023 has received a major boost as former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Secretary to Federal Government, SGF, Chief Olu Falae, have both thrown their weights behind it.
Obasanjo who spoke when members of Political Action Committee, PAC, of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, visited him at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, to seek his support for the project said it would help foster national unity.
In a separate incident, Chief Falae said the South-East should be supported to produce the next President in 2023.
The former SFG argued that since the South-East had not produced Nigeria’s President in the recent times, it would only be proper for them to be supported to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023.
Similarly, Obasanjo insisted that Ndigbo should produce Nigeria’s next President adding, however, that the minimum Nigerians would accept was that the next President should come from the South.
“The next President of Nigeria must come from the South-East. The least acceptable minimum is a President from the southern part of Nigeria,” Obasanjo declared.
Obasanjo said that having Nigerian President of Igbo extraction would help to ensure peace, justice, fairness and sustainable national development in the country.
Ikengaonline reports that the Ohanaeze high-powered delegation had gone to consult with Obasanjo over the 2023 project.
Ime Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had at its recent meeting in Enugu, mandated Ohanaeze President General, and the Secretary to constitute a political committee to reach out to other parts of the country and canvass support for the Igbo presidential ambition.
Meanwhile, some eminent Igbo personalities on the delegation were, the Ohanaeze President General, Professor George Obiozor; Secretary General, Ambassador Okey Emuche; the immediate- past President General, Dr. Nnia Nwodo; and formér Secretary, Gary Igariwey.
Also on the delegation were Professor Anya. O Anya; former Chairman, Police Service Commission; Simon Okeke; and the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Chidozie Ogbonnia.
Obasanjo blamed the rising agitations and insecurity in the country on injustice while stressing the need for morality, justice, and equity in a religious and ethnic plural state like Nigeria.
“It is inconceivable to have peace and progress in a country that is rooted in injustice,” Obasanjo said.
He said that federal character was put in place to discourage domination by any particular section of the country.
“Federal character, rotation of power and such other measures are meant to help our nation-building process and more sure-footedly, move Nigeria forward.”
“Riding over these measures rudely, shoddily and roughly cannot augur well for our nation-building process and progress,” he warned.
Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation and President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor, lauded the peace efforts of Obasanjo both at home and abroad.
Describing the former Head of State as one of the most vocal voices in Africa, the Ohanaeze helmsman commended Obasanjo for his courage, sincerity, and passion for justice.
In a separate incident, Falae made a strong case for power shift to the South-East.
Falae said: “I expect that the South-East will have a fair chance to ask for the President of Nigeria because in recent times the President has not come from the South-East. I said in recent times.
“For national unity and peace, yes, but the South-East is not the only zone that has not produced the President in recent times. There are six zones now and in the recent past, the zones that have produced the President are the North-West, South-West and South-South.
“The North-Central, North-East, and South-East have not produced President in recent times, so there are three that have equal rights to ask for it if we want to be fair.
“If we want to use North and South, then it’s two (North and South) I insist it must come from the South because the present President is from the North.”
There has been preponderance of arguments in favour of power shift to the South-East in 2023 especially in view of the quality of aspirants for the number one job from the zone.
Some presidential aspirants from the South-East include: former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi (PDP); Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi (APC); former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim (PDP); and Senator Chris Ngige (APC).
Others are Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa (PDP); former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Kingsley Moghalu (ADP); Senator Rochas Okorocha, (APC), among others.
Former Abia State Governor and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC), yesterday, announced his withdrawal from the race, and declared support for the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan from the North-East.
Ohanaeze had threatened to disown any Igbo that would accept the position of a running mate to any presidential candidate in 2023.
The Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, had also said any Southerner that would subscribe to such offer “is not a patriotic Southerner.”
Both PDP and APC, the two major political parties in the country, are still undecided on zoning, a move seen by many as a ploy by the North to retain power beyond 2023.
Nigeria’s incumbent President Buhari from North-West who took over from ex- President Goodluck Jonathan (South-South) in 2015, will be completing his eight years in office by 2023.
