With a little more than one year to the 2023 elections, KENNETH OFOMA x-rays the quietude of South-East political leaders despite their loud agitations that the zone should produce the next president of the country...CONTINUE READING
As the two major political parties in Nigeria, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continue to play hide and seek game over the zoning of presidential slot to either North or South ahead of the 2023 general elections, the politicians from the South-East geopolitical zone of the country appear to also be hedging.
Whereas their counterparts from the North, South-West and South- South were known to have directly or indirectly kicked off lobby for the presidential position, Igbo politicians are slow in coming. This is despite a groundswell of opinion in the country that for equity and justice, the Igbo of South-East extraction should be allowed to have their turn at the presidency of the country.
Politicians from North, West and South have at one time or another spoken in favour of power shift to the South-East, as a way of assuaging the people and stemming the agitations for self- determination, aside from giving them a sense of belonging. Even the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos State, Most Reverend Alfred Adewale-Martins, has stated that Nigeria’s next president should be from the South-East region.
According to him, an Igbo becoming the country’s leader would amount to equity and justice. Adewale-Martins noted that other zones have occupied the number one position except the South-East. He further opined that true federalism would resolve the unending agitations for self-actualisation by ethnic nationalities.
Others who expressed such opinion have suggested the kind of consensus arrangement that made it possible for two Yorubas, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae to emerge presidential candidates of the PDP and APP (All Peoples Party) respectively in 1999.
An elder statesman and former Secretary General of the pan-Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nduka Eya is one those who have been canvassing for a president of South-East extraction in 2023. Eya said in a recent interview with the New Telegraph that out of Nigeria’s 60 years of independence, the Yorubas first ruled the country within the military regime for five years and then another eight years under democratic rule.
“Remember that Olusegun Obasanjo who took over from Murtala Mohammed ruled for three years plus, then Ernest Shonekan for one year. Military ruled us for 38 years, out of the 38 years, the Yorubas ruled for five years. So for 33 years Nigeria was governed by military generals from the North. But on return to civilian rule, Obasanjo was there for eight years, after that President Umar Ya’Adua and then Jonathan from South-South.
“So that for 60 years of a federal republic, Ndigbo through Aguyi Ironsi was only in power for six months, while the Yorubas and Hausas, and of course, don’t mind the fact that the South -South, had its turn under Goodluck Jonathan; we want to prove that all of us are one. Ikwere people after the war with the intimidation of the army said they were not Igbos. But we know they are. Rotimi Amaechi is from Ikwere, but he is saying they are from Rivers.
“But you know all these things, success goes with friends, but lack of success you don’t have a friend. The zoning was clear in the party. Why is it that in Nigeria today we have never had a respectable census figure? Some will say if you go on merit they will win, but you will not win in our constitution because you must meet two thirds of the population.
So with your population you will not win without going to the South to make your two third,” he said. However, it’s gratifying, at least to many Igbos, that Igbo politicians are gradually crawling out of their shell to indicate their interest to run for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023.
Immediate past President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria PSN, Sam Ohuabunwa; former Secretary to the Federal Government, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State; former Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia North in the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu; former Governor of Anambra State and Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi; former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu; former Governor of Imo State, Sen Rochas Okorocha; and Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba among others have either declared interest to contest in the 2023 general elections or are being urged by their supporters to do so.
Some of the politicians have come out openly to declare their interest while others are being urged by some support groups or supporters. Many have not come out with their articulated position on why they want to contest the presidency.
But Sam Ohuabunwa, who happens to be one of the earliest to make his intentions public on November 8, 2023, said the greatest challenge that propelled his presidential ambition, was the need to produce a new Nigeria where justice injustice is ruled out.
He explained that the need for a new Nigeria has become more urgent as “many Nigerians had lost hope in the country because of the depressing economic challenges where 53 per cent of the Nigerian youths are unemployed (more than half of Nigeria’s employable youths) and nearly another 22 per cent remain underemployed”.
Similarly, Nigeria’s former Senate President and former SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim on October 30, declared his intention and political ambition to join the 2023 presidential race. Anyim says even if PDP doesn’t zone slots to S/East, he’s ready to run.
Senator Anyim who made his intention known in an interview with scores of journalists in Abuja said he will contest the presidency in 2023 whether the PDP zones the presidential ticket to the South-East or not. According to him, the PDP’s National Convention would signal the
