A group, Nigeria Presidential Project (NPP) 2023, has accused some unnamed ‘enemies’ of South East geopolitical zone of hijacking the recent nationwide protest against the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in order to truncate emergence of an Igbo man as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.
The Chancellor of NPP 2023, Chief Walter Obiorah Oji, who made the assertion in Awka during the inauguration of Anambra State chapter of the group, equally condemned the wanton loss of lives and properties perpetrated by the ‘enemies’ and ‘miscreants’, assuring however, that realisation of presidency of Southeast extraction was unstoppable.
“May I use this opportunity to condemn the violence and the unnecessary loss of lives that took place following these protests. The wanton loss of lives and properties was uncalled for. It is obvious that the peaceful protest was hijacked by miscreants, anarchists, enemies of Southeast geopolitical zone and enemies of one Nigeria, some of whom are working to truncate the right of Southeast geopolitical zone to produce a President of Southeast extraction come 2023.
“Let me make it abundantly clear that NPP 2023 and the people of the Southeast geopolitical zone will not, cannot and will never give up our demand to produce a President of the federal republic of Nigeria of a South East extraction come 2023,” Oji posited. According to him, all the political parties should commence “the necessary internal restructuring, before or during their next convention in order to create the enabling disposition for zoning their National Chairman to any of the three geopolitical zones in Northern Nigeria. We are a political advocacy group with objectives of demanding that all political parties zone their Presidential candidate positions for the 2023 general elections to the South Easy geopolitical zone. “
He further assured Nigerians that the Southeast would provide formidable candidates for the 2023 general elections to choose from as President for justice, equity and sense of belonging.
“It is not out of place to also call on President Muhammadu Buhari to also commence nurturing prospective candidates that may succeed him. As is well known, one of the problems of leadership in Africa is the quest for tenure elongation and the failure to nurture and prepare one’s successor,” he added.
Contributing, the National Director, Media and Publicity, NPP 2023, Mr Anthony Nwachukwu, explained that the group, with chapters across 36 states of federation and overseas, has the backing of stakeholders including Emirs, Obas, politicians, professors and professionals to campaign vigorously for Igbo man from Southeast extraction to win the 2023 presidential poll.
Earlier, the Anambra state Chairman of the group, Chief Ifeanyi Ozigbo, assured that his eleven members executive would take the ‘gospel’ across 328 political wards and 179 communities in the state.
