Igbo Group Demands Zoning of Presidency to Southeast, Warns against Sabotage

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

An Igbo socio-cultural-organisation, Ahamefuna, has again called on all political parties in Nigeria to zone their presidential tickets to the Southeast in the interest of peace, justice and equity ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The organisation warned political leaders in the region against compromising the determination of the Southeast to get the presidency in 2023.

It said the demand was predicated on the fact that Nigeria has a zoning and rotational culture for the presidency of the countrt which was reached at the 1995 Constitutional Conference.

The organisation made the demand in Enugu yesterday during its World Igbo Press Conference with the theme: ‘The Need for Nigerian presidency from the South-east Nigeria in 2023’.

Speaking during the conference, former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) and an elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said the South-east region must be given the opportunity to serve the country since other regions have had their own fair share of the presidency.

He said a president from the region would usher in unity, peace and progress in Nigeria as well as guarantee the cessation of agitation by youths for a breakup of the Nigerian state.

Iwuanyanwu, who was the chairman of the event, said the Southeast is not asking for favour, but what it deserves.

According to him, “We don’t want to be vice president. We want to be the president of the country. It hurts that it is only when it gets to the turn of the Igbo that other regions would begin to complain. We want to be given the chance to show what we have.”

Also speaking, a former president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof Anya O Anya, said the current crop of politicians in the country is incapable of solving the problems they created.

Anya, who delivered a keynote address titled: ‘Nigeria in search of statesmen  patriots and elders’, said many of those presenting themselves as candidates do not know the magnitude of the challenges we have and how to go about it.

“Over the years, we have lacked leaders who would practice statecraft which is the art of government with a touch of statesmanship,” he stated.

Speaking further, Anya said: “We cannot help but ask the question of how Nigeria has descended so low that touts, common thieves and lay-about with no character, who should be in jail if the EFCC and the ICPC had done their duty, have determined to insult us.”

Anya, who was also a former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), said while other regions say the South-east region does not have good leaders, it has the likes of Okonjo Iweala, Peter Obi, Anyim Pius Anyim, Kingsley Moghalu, among others who can turn around the fortunes of Nigeria.

“The leadership we need must be driven by knowledge, capacity and integrity,” adding that the last value is critical “because it is anchored on the value system of the society.”

On his part, the Obi of Onitsha, HRM Alfred Achebe, said the region would not go to bed till the presidency is achieved, adding that Ndigbo must come together, as a matter of urgency, to achieve the goal of leading the country to where it ought to be.

“We have insurgency in the Southeast which we must address to ensure that we have peace and security in the region,” he said, adding that: “We must rise to our internal challenges as a stepping stone towards our goal of becoming the president. It is well above partisanship.”

Those in attendance included Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, ABC Nwosu, Chief Okwuesilieze Nwodo, Prof Uche Azikiwe, Chief Tony Onyia.

Others were Bishop of Enugu Catholic Diocese, Dr Callistus Onaga; Anya, Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief Ben Obi, Chief Dubem Onyia, Senator Azu Agboti, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu.