The quest for a president of Igbo extraction received a major boast with leaders of the South-east geopolitical zone, forming a common front for its actualization in 2023.
The leaders include the former Minister of Power and ex-Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsuka, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; Chairman of New Generation Leadership Development Foundation, Dr. Godwin Udibe; Media Management Consultant, Dr. Law Mefor; Comrade Udenta Udenta; Dr. Emeka Okengwu; Nze Elvis Agukwe; Dr. Ifedi Okwenna; and Comrade Auston Ifedinezi; among others.
Speaking on the aegis of Igbo Leadership Development Foundation (ILDF), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with the fundamental objective nurturing and promoting leadership qualities and credentials in Igbo nation, at a media conference, Thursday in Abuja, they said presidential power needs to return to South in 2023, and particularly to the South-east in the spirit of rotation.
Reading a prepared text on behalf of the group, Dr Law Mefor, noted that: “When the nation returned to democratic governance in 1999, a convention was struck on rotation of power between North and South Nigeria and between their zones.
“This has led to the production of two Presidents from the North West of the country and one from South-west and one from South-south, leaving out the South-east and the North-east in the equation.
“We also believe that in the same spirit of rotation, presidential power needs to return to South in 2023, and particularly to the South East since it is the only zone yet produce a President for the country in the present dispensation from the Southern divide.”
According to the group, “The task of building a united, progressive nation is a task that must involve all patriotic citizens and accomplishing such an arduous task will be impossible if any part of the country is alienated or excluded.
“Our group recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari, in his maiden media chat, challenged the South-east to organize and assert their rights within an indivisible, indissoluble Nigeria.
“We also note that the five states in the South-east will not make anyone from there Nigerian President. In fact, the Constitution requires a spread of at least 25 per cent in at least in 24 states to produce a Nigeria President.
“This reality is part of what has informed the decision of ILDF in conjunction with Igbo Renaissance Foundation, World Igbo Summit Group and others to convene the Great Debate on Restructuring and Rotation of Presidential powers in Nigeria come January 30, 2020 here in Abuja.
“This national conversation to engender unity and equity has become quite inevitable and needs to be supported by all well-meaning Nigerians.”
Speaking further, he said: “We plan to invite key Nigerian leaders, groups and critical stakeholders, irrespective of their persuasions and leanings to bring their best and finest arguments to the table. Even God Almighty once told man as recorded in the Holy Book, Come, let us reason together. And like a former Prime Minister of Britain Winston Churchill once said: Let’s jaw jaw than war.
“Our group plans to move round the country to engage other zones and to lobby and convince them on the inherent benefits of Nigeria President of Igbo extraction.
“One thing is sure in this proposal: the very nature and culture of the Igbo is business-like. Though the leadership of Nigeria by an Igbo man or woman may not be a silver bullet or a cure-all for the leadership deficits of the country, he or she certainly will not run Nigeria in a patronising manner. His or her leadership shall be a win-win for all sections of the country since he lives among all Nigerians in all nooks and crannies of the country.”
According to him, “While touring zones of the country, one other big issue to engage our team is dispelling the notion that the 1966 military coup was an Igbo coup. No ethnic group carries out a coup against a government in which they enjoy commanding heights and primacy of place; or, botch a coup which they organized to enthrone their own hegemony as Generals JTU Aguiyi -Ironsi and Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu did to stop that first military porsche.
“Ndigbo have been grievously accused in this regard and even more grievously have they borne this burden of fallacious history. To us, therefore, it is high time we set that record straight for the sake of posterity and for the sake of generations of Nigerians who have been fed this lie for decades.”
