Road to 2023: South East leaders commence nationwide consultation

By FRED ITUA, Abuja

Leaders from the South East have commenced a nationwide consultation as part of moves to shore up support for the region’s bid to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023.

The leaders said since the end of the Nigerian Civil War 52 years ago, the South East region has been marginalised and its infrastructure moribund despite the contributions of the zone to the growth of the nation.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday on the platform of South East Patriots, the convener of the body, Obunike Ohaegbu, said that besides the South East only North East, which he said has also been marginalised, can lay claims to the presidency in 2023.

Speaking on behalf of other leaders, Ohaegbu said: “The main objectives of this group are to vigorously pursue and work with other Nigerians of South-East origin in partnership with Nigerians from other geopolitical zones, for the actualisation of a Nigerian President of South East extraction in 2023 or as soon as practicable, who shall be from any of the five states that make up the South East region.

“In view of the above, we’ve has set up machinery for the interrogation of the blueprint of most of the would-be presidential aspirants across the country.

“We believe that it would be insensitive to the agitation of the South East for anyone in the South-South or South West to present themselves for the presidency at this time. We will consider such aspiration as being offensive to the sensitivities of the people of South East.

“We consider it a fraud on the people of the South East in particular and Nigeria in general.

“We need to categorically repeat that we are committed to ensuring the emergence of the President of Nigeria from of South East extraction in 2023. However, we are also aware that nobody from the North East has led Nigeria since 1970.

“Therefore, we call on Nigeria to concede the presidency to both zones. We also call on the leaders from the North East and South East to, as a matter of urgency, begin discussions and negotiations on how both Zones will take shots at the Presidency and who does the same now.

“We have put together a high powered committee that will talk to other critical stakeholders and leaders in Nigeria to encourage a more practical realisation of a President of Nigeria of South-East extraction as soon as possible.” (Daily Sun)