Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Two presidential aspirants from the South-east geopolitical zone, in the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senators Orji Uzor Kalu and Rochas Okorocha, met yesterday to discuss permutations towards the 2023 presidential elections and the fate of the Igbo in the poll.
Sources close to the two former governors said the duo, who are former governors of Abia and Imo states respectively, discussed extensively behind closed doors.
THISDAY learnt Okorocha had prior to the meeting, visited Kalu, who is also the Senate Chief Whip, at his Aso-Villa residence. They were said to have exchanged pleasantries after which they departed Kalu’s residence to have lunch in the city centre, where they both held discussions.
Shortly after the dialogue, Okorocha decked in blue native attire escorted Kalu, who also wore grey coloured Polo T shirt and black coloured trouser pants, to his car.
Sources further explained that the meeting of the South-east politicians centred on how to forge a united front for the actualisation of the emergence of a Nigerian President from Igbo extraction.
The source said, “The meeting is expected to put to rest the notion that the South-easterners are obviously not thinking of forging a common front by presenting and supporting one candidate.
“The meeting comes amid clamour for the South-east to produce the next president in 2023 following the marginalisation of the zone since 1999.
“Remember that both Kalu and Rochas had declared interest in the presidency, they both urged the APC to zone the ticket to the South-East region to address the issue of marginalisation, and also on the basis of fairness, equity and justice. Rochas, who recently declared his intention to run for the presidential race joins the list of other aspirants who had so far visited Kalu at his Abuja home.
“Recall also that, last year November, a former governor of Lagos State and 2023 presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, visited Kalu at his Abuja residence. They both held a meeting behind closed doors, amid speculations that the former was eyeing the highest office in the land.”
“Also, days ago the chance for Nigerian President of Igbo extraction brightened following the declaration of leader of pan-Yoruba Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, that the emergence of a President of Igbo extraction in the 2023 presidential election, should be supported. Adebanjo said this on the Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
“According to the 94-year-old elder statesman, it is in the spirit of federal character and equity for the Igbo to produce the next President of the country.
“He argued that the South-west produced former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led for eight years and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who served for almost eight years.
“Adebanjo added that the South-south had also produced the President in the person of Goodluck Jonathan who was in office from 2010 to 2015.
“The Afenifere leader said all the while, the South-East had been denied the Presidency,” the source added.
Attempts to speak with either Kalu or Rochas on the matter failed as none of them could be reached via their mobile phones.They had also yet to reply the text messages sent to them separately as of the time of filing this report.
