Former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige

By Chuks Okocha

Former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, at the weekend, said the South-east geo-political zone will present a presidential candidate for the 2015 presidential elections with or without the support of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ngige, who spoke at the 2012 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ohanaeze Ndigbo awards and gala night, said though he was elected as a senator on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he remained a founding member of the PDP, where zoning was enshrined in the party.

Ngige lamented that the PDP, under the present arrangement had jettisoned zoning, which was one of the fundamental objectives of the party’s constitution.

He said: “The South-east zone is the only zone that is yet to govern Nigeria in an executive capacity since Independence in 1960.”

Ngige said though late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, was the principal architect of Independence in 1960, “as we celebrate what can be described as Nigeria’s 52 anniversary as a nation, we should ask whether we gave able to create for our people a happy, equitable and prosperous nation where no man oppressed even with our diversities and collectively.”

“As leaders, we have not. Come 2015, the South-east will step out to ask Nigerians to give her an opportunity to offer Nigerians a qualitative and visionary leadership that will restore her lost glory as a nation. With the PDP or without the PDP,” he stated.

Ngige was one of the recipients, who received the FCT Ohanaeze Ndigbo Excellence Awards, while Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; the wives of governors of Rivers and Cross River States, Mrs. Judith Rotimi Amaechi and Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke, respectively were also given awards.

Chairman of Ohanaeze in FCT, Mr. Nwabueze Obi, described Ngige as the liberator and emancipator of Anambra State and the Igbo race.

He said during the Apo six incident, Ngige was the only South-east governor who rose up to demand for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those who allegedly killed six Igbo ‘boys’.

Ngige, who spoke on behalf of the award recipients, told journalists that the National Assembly, which he belonged to was making efforts to ensure that alternative routes were created to the South-east to avert the recent happenings in Lokoja, Kogi State where floods had taken over the road.

Other personalities, who also received award of excellence, were the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, and the chairman of Dome Entertainment, Chief Obiora Okonkwo.