2023: Igbo Leaders Converge In Enugu, Insist On Producing Buhari’s Successor

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, April 1st, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As the 2023 general election gathers momentum, prominent Igbo leaders on Thursday met in Enugu, with a call on the two major political parties in Nigeria, the ruling All progressive Congress APC and people’s Democratic party PDP to zone their presidential tickets to South East zone of the country.

They insisted that it is the turn of the South-East geo political zone of the nation to produce the next Nigeria president of Igbo extraction.

The leaders who spoke under the platform of Ahamefuna Socio-cultural organisation, maintained that allowing an Igbo man to be succeed president Muhammad u
Buhari in 2023 will put to an end issue of agitations for a Biafra Republic.

According to them, Nigeria president of Southeast extraction will usher in unity, peace and progress in the country.

Present at the meeting were elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; who chaired the event, Ex- Enugu state governor, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and his Imo state counterparty, Chief Achike Udenwa,

Others are, former Minister of Health, Dr. A.B.C Nwosu, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia, Wife of late first Nigeria president, Dr. Uche Azikewe, Wife of late former Nigeria’s Vice president, Mrs. Beatrice Ekwueme, Senator Ben Obi, Senator Azu Agboti

Also in attendance were former Ministers, Senators, Professor Anya. O. Anya, who delivered the key note address, religious and traditional leaders, the academia, , women and youth leaders, amongst others.

They charged Southeast politicians to stand firm in demanding that their political parties zoned 2023 presidential tickets to the region.

The leaders stated this during a Conference in Enugu tagged “the need for Nigerian Presidency from the Southeast Nigeria come 2023”.

They said their demand is in the spirit of justice, equity and fairness, adding that without that efforts at nation-building would be futile

The leaders had in a resolution read by one time chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, said “A president from the Southeast will usher in unity, peace and progress in Nigeria.

“A president from the Southeast will guarantee the cessation of agitation by youths for break -up of the Nigerian state.

“That our case is sufficiently self- evident and persuasive to jolt the conscience of the Nation to do justice to our people.

They added ” That citizens of the Southeast, across all parties must work in unity to achieve the objective of Southeast Presidency in 2023.

“That political leaders of the Southeast should not, under any circumstances, compromise the determination of the South East to get the Presidency of Nigeria in 2023.

“That the people of the South East shall view with sternness, any South Easterner who works against this resolve.

They noted that Southeast had supported other zones to produce the president of Nigeria and in fairness other zones should reciprocate by supporting region in 2023 to produce the president.

“We urge Southeasterners in all political parties, especially the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People Democratic Party (PDP), to stand firm in demanding
for equity and fairness. Indeed we do need to hear the South-East demand resonating in all political fora across the country. We believe that we shall get justice in the end”, the resolution read.

The Igbo leaders insisted that the demand of the 2023 presidency “is predicated on the fact that the zone has not produced a President of Nigeria, except for only Six months.

“It has also not produced an elected Prime Minister or President since Nigerian Independence in 1960”.

“The South East has suffered monumental marginalization of the zone since after the civil war. This marginalization has reached new levels in the last seven years. What can Ndi igbo do

“The Southeast leaders noted that Nigeria has a zoning and rotational culture for the Presidency of Nigeria.

“This agreement on rotational Presidency was reached at the 1995 Constitutional Conference. That rotation favours Southern Nigeria at the end of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.”

“When that Presidency rotates to southern Nigeria, the zone that most deserves it is the South East, as other zones have occupied the seat before.

“The meeting noted that the Southeast has many persons with the capacity, patriotism and passion to govern Nigeria”