Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, and former Finance Minister, Chief Olu Falae, have reiterated that to ensure peace, justice, fairness and sustainable national development in the country, the next president of Nigeria must come from the South-East.
Chief Obasanjo made the remark when the Political Action Committee (PAC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide paid a courtesy call on him at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In a statement made available to journalists in Enugu on Tuesday by Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Obansanjo said least acceptable minimum is a president from the Southern part of Nigeria.
Recall that the Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide had sat on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at the Ohanaeze headquarters, in Enugu and reached some remarkable resolutions, among which is the mandate to the Political Action Committee (PAC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to reach out to the leaders of the six geopolitical zones of the country for collaboration to ensure that an Igbo of the South-East extraction is elected the president of Nigeria come 2023.
The Ohanaeze delegation to the South-West comprised Ambassador (Prof.) George Obiozor, the President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; Ambassador Okey Emuchay, Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo; Chief Nnia Nwodo, former President-General; Prince Gary Igariwey, former President-General; Professor Anya O Anya; Chief S N Okeke; and Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, the National Publicity Secretary.
Obasanjo welcomed the Ohanaeze delegation and commended the body for demanding for their rights.
The elder statesman stated that what he owes Nigeria is sincerity, objectivity and guidance.
He elevated humanity by stressing the need for morality, equity and justice in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country such as Nigeria, adding that it is inconceivable to have peace and progress in a country that is rooted in injustice.
Obasanjo cited his speech on his 85th birthday, wherein he stated that “the major issue on hand is how to lift Nigeria from a country to a nation.”
As a process of nation building, he cited how his democratic government “adopted rotation and sharing formula for six key party political offices and government offices among the six geopolitical zones which stood the country and the party in good stead.
“It was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) policy that made it inadvisable to have candidate from the South to succeed me after my eight years in office as president”, he said.
Obasanjo emphasised that “federal character, rotation of power and such other measures are meant to help our nation-building process and more sure-footedly, move Nigeria forward.”
He cautioned that “riding over these measures rudely, shoddily and roughly cannot augur well for our nation-building process and progress”.
Obasanjo reminded Nigerians that he strived to ensure that he “was succeeded by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the North”.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ambassador George Obiozor commended Chief Obasanjo for his unwavering commitment to peace and unity of Nigeria.
He added that Obasanjo remains one of the strongest voices in Nigeria and one of the most respected Nigerians in the world because of his track records of accomplishments while his tenure lasted as the president of Nigeria.
According to Obiozor, Obasanjo remains one detribalised Nigerian whose views on national issues are devoid of ethnic chauvinisms.
Obiozor commended Obasanjo for his 85 birthday speech where he pointed out that rotation of power and zoning principles are part of nation building mechanisms in Nigeria.
Obiozor, among other remarks, thanked Obasanjo profusely for his courage, sincerity, steadfastness and passion for justice, especially as it affects the Igbo and the future of Nigeria.
He highlighted that any group that is repeatedly denied justice may never have interest in peace.
The PAC also met with the elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the leader of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, at his Lekki residence in Lagos. Professor Obiozor thanked Pa Adebanjo for his immense understanding and clinical analysis of Nigerian politics.
Obiozor, who nominated Chief Nnia Nwodo to speak on behalf of the PAC, added that honesty is the highest virtue, desired by all but cultivated by a few, such as the indefatigable Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
Adebanjo pointed out that the APC presidential aspirants from the South-West, particularly Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, were being propelled by power brokers in Aso Rock to aspire for the presidency as part of a grand design to retain power in the North after Buhari’s tenure expires in May 2023.
He described as disgraceful the purported moves by former President Goodluck Jonathan to take another shot at the presidency, lamenting that the Northern politicians appear to be smarter than their Southern counterparts.
The elder statesman restated his support for the South- East of Nigeria to produce President Buhari’s successor.
Pa Adebanjo explained that he believes in principles based on equity and justice. He informed the rapt audience that he was recruited into politics by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe but later joined Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Adebanjo clarified that he remains an Awoist and that the sage had admonished them that for Nigeria to progress, they should ignore various fault lines and work with the Igbo on the principles of justice.
He reasserted that it is the turn of the South-East to produce a president for Nigeria, noting that he told Tinubu himself, not in the newspaper, but face-to-face not to contest the 2023 election.
Moreover, as the 2023 election approaches, former Finance Minister, Olu Falae has also thrown his weight behind a South-East presidency.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Falae, who spoke in an interview, said the region has not produced a president in recent times.
“I expect that the South East will have a fair chance to ask for the president of Nigeria because in recent times the president has not come from the South-East. I said in recent times,” the octogenarian said.
“For national unity and peace, yes, but the South East is not the only zone that has not produced the president in recent times. There are six zones now and in the recent past, the zones that have produced the president are the North-West, South-West and South-South.
“The North-Central, North-East and South-East have not produced president in the recent times, so there are three that have equal rights to ask for it if we want to be fair.”
