Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A human rights group, Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) has appealed to former presidents, military heads of state, leaders of political parties to compel Nigeria’s major political parties to nominates presidential candidates from South East in 2023 presidential election.
The group urged the parties to re-enact 1999 consensus where major parties zoned and nominated their presidential candidates from the South-West.
A statement by Anambra State Chairman of CLO, Mr. Vincent Ezekwueme and Secretary, Mr. Chidi Mba bemoaned the fact that the South East remains the only zone that has not produced president in contemporary democratic Nigeria, except Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi who ruled for six months.
“In 1999 Nigeria political leaders displayed unprecedented patriotism, peace, love and nationalism by ceding the presidency to the southwest in which Obasanjo from PDP and Olu Falae from AD /APP contested for the presidency which actually stabilised the country,” the CLO said.
“CLO had in a tribute to former vice president Alex Ekwueme asserted that the greatest and best tributes political class and Nigerians should pay to Ekwueme is to elect Nigeria president of Igbo extraction at the end of Buharis’ tenure .This project should be a national project. The best and greatest reconciliation, rehabilitation, reconstruction and reintegration of southeast is collective decision to elect southeast extraction as next president of Nigeria in order to give them sense of belonging
“It is pertinent and imperative for Igbo leaders to commence earnestly consultations, lobbying, persuasions, negotiations and mobilisations of Nigerians to canvass, advocates, demand and influence citizenry to accept the project as panacea for permanent peace
“Igbo must think about next generation and common interest, discards with great disdain selfish and displays in words and actions what Dr. Chuba Okadigbo described as political arithmetic,intelligence and sagacity.