April 26, (THEWILL) – Southern and Middle Belt leaders has called on all political parties to zone their presidential tickets to the South East to cement unity and fairness in the country.
The regional leaders said most of the zones in the country have had their people occupy the presidential villa, adding that the South East has qualified candidates in all political parties that can be president in 2023.
In a communiqué issued after The Greater Nigeria Conference (GNC), with the theme ‘”Together We Can”, which had leaders of Afenifere, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ohanaeze and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), the leaders said a president of the South East extraction will bring unity to the country.
The Conference was for leaders of the South East and friends of the South East to come together and make the case for all political parties in Nigeria to allow aspirants from South East Nigeria to be their presidential flag bearers.
The conference organised under the chairmanship of Dr Idu Igariwey and the chief host, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, had all the presidential aspirants from the South East present.
From Chief Edwin Clark (PANDEF), Pa Ayo Adebanjo (Afenifere), Dr Bitrus Pogu (MBF) to His Royal Highness, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Obi of Obinigwu, the leaders also called for unity and an end to all kinds of insecurity bedevilling the country.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference and signed by committee chairman and secretary, Dr Okwy Nwodo and Lolo Golda Obi, respectively, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the unity of Nigeria, as embodied in the theme of the Conference: “Together we can.”
The communiqué reads in part: “GNC resolves that zoning does matter, as other regions have benefited from zoning. GNC recognises that zoning is legal, as the Federal Character Principle is enshrined in the Constitution.
“The GNC resolved that the ambitions of all presidential aspirants of South East extraction will be supported, regardless of party.
“The GNC resolved that for equity, fairness and inclusion, it is right that all political parties should zone the Presidency to the South East.”
The GNC further appreciated the support of other geopolitical zones in the quest for a president of South East extraction even as it contended “a president from the South East will usher in unity, peace and progress in Nigeria and, being grounded on justice, equity and fair play, will help to douse all manners of agitation in the Nigerian state.
The communiqué called on all citizens of the South East across all parties to work in unity to achieve the objective of a president from the South East in 2023.
Speaking earlier, the former president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nnia Nwodo, said in the absence of justice, nothing can be built in Nigeria, adding that in 2023, the country must have a conscience.
“Today, Nigeria is standing in brotherhood? Nigeria has proved that together we can and I will give you an example. Today, the South-East is bleeding from marginalisation and injustice. Nigeria must come together and install a president from the South East. This marginalisation must end. Any part of this country that is bleeding, this country must go there and stop the bleeding. It was done in the South-South. Why is it that when it comes to the South East, the conscience of Nigeria takes a flight?” Nwodo asked.
Also, the leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo , said that the North is just deceiving the South East when it comes to shifting the presidency to the area.
“We all know the truth; they don’t want the South-East. It is not because they don’t know what is right. I only like to point to the fact that they are just deceiving you; all that you are hearing that they (the north) are supporting the South-West is an element of deceit to deprive you to be able to rule. They don’t like anybody.
“I told Tinubu himself, not in the paper, face-to-face. You believe this man (Buhari) will make you president? He said yes. I said he wants to make you president, he asked (Yemi) Osinbajo to contest? He asked (Kayode) Fayemi to contest, he asked Amosun (Ibikunle) to contest? All in the West, why? He wanted to divide the west first.
“The unfortunate thing is that President Goodluck Jonathan allowed himself to be disgraced by mentioning the fact that he is considering whether to be president. For what?
“Now that it is the turn of the South-East, they are propounding a new theory – it must be based on merit and all that. If it is the question of merit today, the East alone will produce the president.
“I’m saying all these because in the talks about go and sell yourself, go and campaign, go and lobby – it is all rigmarole. They know the truth. Although, I don’t like all the people that came out from the East, but for the fact that they are saying you have no people, I’m happy you demonstrated that, but go and unite – a house divided against itself will not stand”, Adebanjo said, adding that the North does not want to cede power.
On his part, the leader of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, said it was surprising that after the monumental failures within this period, someone from the North will want to rule after Buhari.
“But the unfortunate thing is that everybody thinks if one of theirs is not there, they will be shortchanged. The NPN, which was the first beneficiary of Nigeria’s transformation into presidentialism, had an Igbo vice president that could have succeeded the first executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, but was overthrown.
“It is now time for President Muhammadu Buhari to rewrite the role he played in 1983 after he overthrew a democratically elected government. It is time for us to ask him to right that wrong. There are some people out there who feel that without terrorising, they can’t continue to rule and that is unfortunate”, he said.
Pogu pointed out that it was the late Gen. Sani Abacha that argued that the presidency should rotate among the six geo-political zones to cure the malady of fear of domination.
“Military incursions do not help the process of nation building in Nigeria”, he said, adding that in 1999, the political class was of the consensus that presidential power had to shift to the southern part of the country.
He noted that due to the tension in the country at that time, and to douse the tension, in the collective wisdom of the departing military and the political class, it was agreed that zoning presidential power to the South-west was the most expedient thing to do.
“At the end of the day, two South westerners in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Olu Falae, representing an alliance of All Peoples Party (APP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD).
“For whatever reason, they are still talking about the presidency in 2023, we should think twice; Nigerians are not fools.
“The insurgents, the killing, the abductions for ransoms, have opened people’s eyes to know that all is not well. It is only proper that we take this thing to the South and it is the turn of the South east to produce the president”, Pogu said, adding that out there in the north, there is a division.
