By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has declared that the only way the party could compensate the South East for its loyalty, is to give it presidential ticket to aspirant from the region.
Anakwenze said any attempt to deny aspirants from the geopolitical zone, presidential ticket of PDP would spell doom for the party in the forthcoming election.
The presidential aspirant stated this while speaking at a press conference held in Lagos yesterday.
He insisted that it would be unjustifiable and insensitive for the North to retain power in 2023.
Anakwenze pleaded with all patriots, men and women of good will in all the part of the country to ensure that rotation / zoning of presidential power to South East in 2023 by electing candidate from the area.
He said southeasterners are insisting on the presidency and they were not ready to take the vice president slot.
‘I hereby strongly advise, if our party, PDP want to this election come 2023, our PDP stakeholders and Northern presidential aspirants should show patriotism in terms of fairness and equity by stepping down for a spirants from South East region as vice presidential slot will be vehemently rejected by the zone,’ he said.
On reason the region deserved to produce the next president of the country, he said since the country returned to a democratic system of government, all the zones had called the shots except South East.
Adding that when the presidency rotates to Southern Nigeria, the zone that most deserved it is the southeast because other zones have occupied the seat before.
‘South East region of the country had been deprived of opportunities of producing a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for 57 years. We should use the 2023 presidency to reconcile Ndigbo into Nigeria’s political project. This coming election should be strictly for presidential aspirants from the South East geopolitical zone. Rotatory presidency, of which southeast Nigeria has been marginalized and deprived of 33 years of military rule and 24 years of democratic rule. We blamed the rising national insecurity on this marginalization and injustice. Nigeria can come out of this if justice, fairness and equity are given a chance in the 2023 presidential election,’ he said.