Fred Itua, Abuja
Political leaders from the South East zone, yesterday, renewed their demand for the president of Igbo extraction in 2023.
They said it was the turn of Igbo the to occupy the position.
Speaking under the aegis of Igbo Leadership Development Foundation (ILDF), in Abuja, they said any attempt to deny the zone the plum office in 2023 would be misconstrued.
The body which comprises former minister of Power and ex-vice chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Chairman of New Generation Leadership Development Foundation, Dr. Godwin Udibe, among others, regretted that the country had not been fair to Igbo following its continued alienation in national affairs.
Law Mefor, who spoke on behalf of others, said the group and its allies were planning to organise a debate for national unity, which he explained would centre on restructuring and rotation of presidential power in Nigeria.
“If not a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction, then why? If not in 2023, then when? If not in Nigeria, then where?” he asked.
“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.
“Regrettably, our dear country, Nigeria, is still facing challenges of national unity, integration and development. These challenges are borne out of the fact that the structure of the country and mode of governance have remained too dysfunctional, forcing most indices of development to stubbornly persist on the negative side.
“The other side of the same coin is the knotty issue of presidential power in Nigeria. 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 1 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. Our group recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari, in his maiden media chat, challenged the South East people to organize and assert their rights within an indivisible, indissoluble Nigeria. We also note that the 5 States in the South East will not make anyone from there Nigerian President. In fact, the Constitution requires a spread of at least 25% 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.
“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 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.”