Voice of Nigeria (VON) Director General Osita Okechukwu Sunday urged both the All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party to adopt Olu Falae/ Olusegun Obasanjo model by fielding Igbo presidential candidates come 2023.
The APC chieftain stated this while reacting to agitations over which of the six geo-political regions should field the presidential candidate of both the APC and the PDP. He thinks the agitation and contention, if not properly managed could mar the 2023 general elections.
While advocating for a national consensus on Igbo presidency as the only panacea for Nigeria’s democracy, Okechukwu said the only pragmatic answer to peaceful 2023 presidential election “is the Falae/Obasanjo Model.”
Okechukwu, who spoke in Enugu, is optimistic of sustained democracy if APC and PDP, produce Igbo presidential candidates in 2023, saying it would remedy lingering gun-box democracy and return ballot box democracy in Nigeria.
“In a multi-ethnic society like ours, where politics is a do or die affair the only pragmatic answer to the palpable threat facing 2023 presidential election is the Falae/Obasanjo 199 Model. Rotation of president is the ligament holding our fledgling democracy.”
Explaining the model, against the backdrop of discordant tunes, especially from the Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu axis, Okechukwu said:
“I have tremendous respect for His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially Tinubu, who more than anybody contributed the critical supplement to President Buhari’s 12 million vote-bank in 2015 which led us to victory. I also salute other prominent Nigerians who are angling to be president in 2023; however Nigeria, our fatherland is bigger than any of us and her unity is of paramount importance.
“The Falae/Obasanjo Model was founded in 1999, on equity, natural justice, and good conscience, with the sole objective of a harmonious and peaceful country. We may recall that in 1999 two Yoruba were fielded by national consensus under PDP and AD/APP alliance.
“That was the genesis of rotation of president between north and south. The destination was peace, unity, equity and good conscience. We need that now more than ever, especially now that Mr President had denounced those fifth columnists who bandied 3rd Term.”
