The apex Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Tuesday said former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, have declared total support for the South-East presidency in 2023.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday in Enugu by the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, the two leaders reiterated their support for the South East region to produce the successor of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in 2023 when the organisation’s Political Action Committee paid them visits on Monday.
They were quoted to have said that to ensure peace, justice, fairness and sustainable national development in the country, the next president must come from the South-East zone.
The PUNCH reports that the Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide had sat last Thursday in Enugu and reached some resolutions, among which was the mandate to PAC to reach out to leaders of the six geopolitical zones of the country for collaboration to ensure that a politician of the South-East extraction is elected president in 2023.
Upon the charge by Imeobi Ohanaeze, the Ohanaeze delegation, led by Ohanaeze President General, Prof George Obiozor, on Monday visited the South-West to interface with their leaders.
Among the delegation are Secretary-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Okey Emuchay; former President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo; former President General, Prince Gary Igariwey; Professor Anya O Anya; Chief S N Okeke; and, the National Publicity Secretary, Dr Chiedozie Ogbonnia.
Ogbonnia quoted Obasanjo to have stressed the need for morality, equity and justice in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country such as Nigeria.
He said the octogenarian told the delegation that it was inconceivable to have peace and progress in a country that is rooted in injustice.
He quoted the former President as saying that “the major issue on hand is how to lift Nigeria from a country to a nation”, and that he said his government adopted rotation and sharing formula for six key party political offices and government offices across the six geopolitical zones.
“It was the Peoples Democratic Party policy that made it inadvisable to have a candidate from the South to succeed me after my eight years in office as President.
“The federal character, rotation of power and other measures are meant to help our nation-building process and more sure-footedly, move Nigeria forward,” he was quoted as saying.