Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Chief Kalu Onuma has said Igbo deserve to be president of Nigeria in 2023.
Speaking with Daily Sun in Umuahia, Abia State, Onuma said Nigeria needed a political governance arrangement that ensures the participation of all sectiona of the country.
“I still maintain that we, as Nigerians, have searched for too long for good leaders to fall from heaven. For a change, let us try a leader form the South East of the country. This, in my opinion, would definitely unleash the creative, competitive goal-getting acumen of our people from the South East.
“An Igbo president that has all the trappings of forward looking, goal-getting business acumen will surely fit this billing. And in my own opinion and in the likely event the APC zones it’s presidential slot to the South in 2023, the challenge before Ndigbo would be how to get Igbo elites to drop their own ambition and support someone who is more acceptable to the North and the Southern parts of the federation.”
To achieve this, Onuma suggested that Igbo leadership raise a team of eminent men and women to dialogue with the other sections of the country on the Igbo presidency project.
He said the consultations and dialogues should centre on what other parts of the country stand to gain should an Igbo man become president.
“This is certainly not the time for distractions or criticisms, but time for Ndigbo to come together as one people and wholeheartedly throw our weight behind anyone they feel can deliver on the mandate. This without doubt will result in the actualisation of our collective desire to restore the dignity of Ndigbo by producing the president of Nigeria come 2023.”