By Desmond Ejibas
The Frontiers for Peace and Unity (FPU), a pressure group, says the South South should be allowed to produce the nation’s president in 2023.
Mrs Ikalama Owadiktorusinya, National Coordinator, FPU, made the call at the inauguration of the group’s national executives and its Rivers state executive in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Owadiktorusinya said that FPU has carefully studied the political environment and resolved that the presidency must be zoned to the South South for fairness.
“We demand that the unwritten rotational principle of the presidency between the North and South should be brought to bear in the interest of equity, justice and fair play.
“Going by the principle of rotation, the presidency must, therefore, rotate to the South South in 2023.
“So, we urge every Nigerian that believes in development and progress of our country, to support the zoning of the presidency to the South South,” she said.
Owadiktorusinya said that the region deserved the slot going by its strategic importance and contributions to the nation’s economy.
She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his robust infrastructure developmental drive as well as recent signing into law of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“We also commend Buhari for the sustenance of the amnesty programme for repentant agitators as well as ongoing construction of the East West Road among others.
“NFU has from the onset realised that we cannot work in isolation as a group, hence our decision to pitch tent with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We are convinced that the party has a work-plan and a clear-cut readiness to implement policies and programmes that will impact positively on Nigerians,” she added.
Owadiktorusinya lauded the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, for his contributions to the revival of the nation’s railway sector, describing him as an astute administrator.
The coordinator said that FPU’s newly inaugurated 30-member national and Rivers state executives would commence work immediately by taking the gospel of peace and unity across the country.
Dr Joba West, a former Rivers Commissioner for Women Affairs, commended the group for its drive to unify the country across divides.
West, who chaired the event, urged the group to be gender friendly and discouraged Nigerians from recycling old politicians in the 2023 general elections.
The event had in attendance hundreds of youths from the Niger Delta as well as other regions.