By Richard Elesho
The agitation for the emergence of a Nigerian President from the Southeast zone in 2023, has received a major boost. Notable social cultural groups on Monday, 25th April, added their voices to it at a conference in Abuja.
Although the demand is not new, not many people outside the zone have identified with it. Stakeholders from other zones have at best treated it like a daydream, thereby muting the voices of it’s advocates. But with preparations for the general elections gathering steam, the idea has gained fresh traction.
Organized by Nzuko Umunna, under the leadership of Senator Chris Anyanwu, the Greater Nigeria Conference, GNC attracted participants from Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, PANDEF among other cultural groups and presidential hopefuls across political divides.
The groups were one in their resolution that the next president should be of southeast extraction. They argued that since the zone is the only one that has not produced the President, in the tripod that make up the southern region, it would be unjust to do otherwise.
Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo in a thought provoking message opined that a President from the Southeast was the fastest route to unity, Justice and progress. He said it will be inexcusable to exclude any zone and indeed race from the number one office in the country.
The Afenifere leader frowned at the number of Presidential aspirants from the Southwest and Southsouth in the major political parties warning that it was a plot by the north to set southerners against one another.
“In 2019, they said it was the turn of the North, now that it is the turn of the South east, they have now propounded a new theory, the question of merit. If it was a question of merit, who in the North, from Balewa to Shagari, who will stand there?. If it was based on merit today, till kingdom come, the east alone will produce the president”, the Afenifere leader said.
He, then urged Southeast leaders to be steadfast in their demand for the presidency and called on well meaning Nigerians to rise up to be counted with them.
Another elderstateman and leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clerk said the Southeast has more than enough human capacity to lead the nation in a peaceful and prosperous manner. He urged other zones to make concession on the issue.
“The motto of Nigeria is ‘Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”. Where is the Unity, I ask, where is the Faith in our beloved Country Nigeria; where is the Peace; and are we really progressing? Let us not deceive ourselves. I am a strong advocate and believer in the motto of our dear country, and that is why my doors are open to all. But are we really working towards the attainment of this motto? You cannot marginalize and oppress a people, and expect them not to speak out,” he said..
“The people of the South East deserve to have a sense of belonging in this country. So, the clamour for a president for the South East geo-political zone is supported by me. Today, with no other tangible reason for still wanting to hold on to power, some people are talking about merit and competence.
“Let us accommodate one another, and be fair to one another. Let all other Nigerians support a South-Eastern candidate President, come 2023. I repeat, very soon, I will be 95 years old. I have spent more than 70 years of this period in Nigerian affair. I have seen it all. For the peace and sanity of the country, I appeal to all, in the name of the Almighty God, to make this concession to the Igbos, to present a President for Nigeria,” Clarke urged.
Leader of Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Butrus Pogu who delivered the keynote address said the demand for rotational presidency was legitimate and fair. He recalled that in 1999, the political class had a consensus that political power had to shift to the Southern part of Nigeria. “We micro zoned to the South west, to address a national problem, don’t we here agree that the situation we are in calls for a similar approach?
“It will be disingenuous for anyone to argue that where the president comes from does not matter, zoning does matter. It’s only fair and equitable that the presidential position is only occupied by a Nigerian, not of Buhari’s zone, the south should decide.
“We should think twice, Nigerians are not fools , it is the turn of the south east irrespective of the situation on ground. Nigeria cannot be stable and prosperous country of our dream, if some of its constituents behave like they are the masters.” Burus said.
Earlier Anyanwu had stimulated the discussion by an in-depth analysis of demand. She said it is about every Nigerian being entitled by right to the presidency.
“No group is willing to sit at the sharing table and watch others gorge themselves on the fruits of our patrimony and not partake. The political parties will decide this year either to go for a greater, more inclusive and more united Nigeria or a weaker, more frightening, more fragmented pseudo-Nigeria,” she stressed.
The tone for the ongoing debate is not new. It echoes the conclusions of AHAMEFUNA 11 press conference, held in Enugu on the 31st of March 2022, with a strong demand for the various political parties to zone the presidential ticket of their parties to the south eastern Zone of Nigeria.
The demand was predicated on the fact that the zone has not produced a President of Nigeria, except for only Six months. It has also not produced an elected Prime Minister OR President since Nigerian Independence in 1960.
Thus far, the major political parties have left the pursuit of their presidential tickets virtually open to all. They have not barred aspirants from other zones from the race, as believers in micro zoning propose.
Several people from the Southeast have shown interest in the race. In the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, they include Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, former Governors Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu and Sen. Rochas Okorocha of Abia and Imo states respectively and Chris Ngige a Minister and former Governor of Anambra State.
In the PDP Presidential hopefuls from the zone are former Anambra Governor Peter Obi, former Senate President and one time Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, a Pharmacist, Sam Onhuabunwa, a United States-based medical practitioner, Nwachukwu Anakwenze and former Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chikwendu Kalu.
How far can the zone go?