By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo has appealed to leaders from across six geopolitical zones of Nigeria to give the South East opportunity to produce the next President of the country after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
This is even as the former chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has posited that South East Presidency will unite Nigeria and engender peace and progress.
Nwodo who spoke on Arise Television flagship daily programme: ‘The Morning Show’ on Thursday insists that the time had come for a Nigerian President of South East extraction.
According to him: “I don’t want to believe that the PDP has zoned its Presidential ticket away from the South East. PDP should not pretend over zoning because the party has adopted since the 3rd Republic when the founding fathers agreed in Jos, Plateau state to zone the Presidency to South West to compensate the zone over the injustice done to Chief Moshood Abiola after the annulment of 1993 Presidential Election “.
Speaking further, the ex-PDP National Chairman
urged the political class to do justice to the South Easterners to ensure equity and oneness of Nigeria, adding that South East should be treated as part of country.
Said he: “I am very certain that a South East Presidency will reunite Nigeria, stop agitations for
separation and bring peace. I say this because South East have been waiting patiently for justice to be done. It is time because it’s going to 60yrs the zone has waited so in 2023 let justice be done”.
Going down the memory lane, Nwodo said: ” Since Independent South East have made sacrifices for the unity of Nigeria especially in the 2nd Republic when the South East voted massively for NPN and President Shehu Shagari”.
“Again, in the 3rd Republic, South East voted massively for PDP and President Olusegun Obasanjo just as the zone kept faith with PDP during Presidents Umaru Yar’ Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. So South East have voted massively for PDP hence the payback time is now”.
Dr. Nwodo wondered what sin the South East zone committed against other zones in Nigeria that cannot be forgiven, saying “what have South Easterners done that the country cannot yield the Presidency to the South East this time around”.
According to him: “We are all fighting for the soul of Nigeria. This is an unusual time. Look, it is a serious thing that Southern Governors came together irrespective of party affiliation to demand for power shift to the Southern part of Nigeria”.
The top politician warned that “our unity is standing on a tin trade hence some people’s ambition should not plunge the country into chaos”.
Said he: “I believe that if the two big political parties (PDP and APC) zone the Presidency to Southern Nigeria and South East in particular, there will be absolute peace and progress in Nigeria”.
Asked if he believes that the South East has quality Presidential candidates to match those other zones may present, Nwodo whose brother is the immediate past President of Igbo apex socio-cultural body Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, said the South East possesses quality candidates.
“There is no doubt that South East have men and women who have what it takes to navigate Nigeria out of the present economic and security challenges. They include former Governor of Anambra state Peter Obi; former Senate President and Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Pius Anyim Pius; Chief Sam Ohuabunwa; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; Chief Nnia Nwodo, former President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and many others”, he concluded.
