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By Doris Obinna
As political parties begin sales of nomination forms for the 2023 presidential primaries, confidence has started swelling in the South East following favourable responses received from lobby group across the country for the zoning of the position to Igbo.
Some elders had constituted themselves as a lobby group to get Nigerians buy into the quest to have the South East produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor next year.
Daily Sun gathered that the South East lobby group, in the last couple of weeks, met with political, religious, community and opinion leaders in the North, Middle Belt, South West and South South to canvass support for power to rotate to the zone in 2023.
Some of the leaders the South East lobby group met include former presidents, retired top military officers and ex-ministers, including General Ibrahim Babangida, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, Gen Aliyu Gusau, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Saad, and many others.
Sources revealed that the South East lobby group, in discussions with those they met, gave reasons the South East should be supported to produce the next president, some of which include equity, justice, unity and competence.
Daily Sun gathered that some of those the lobby group met gave favourable responses to the effect that South East deserves to take the presidency as power shifts to the South next year.
The central answer the lobby group got was that the South East should syrongly bid for the presidency and would get support, it was learnt.
The lobby group was asked to encourage more qualified South easterners to join the presidential race in the two major parties – PDP and APC.
Competent sources revealed that those the South East lobby group consulted promised to canvass that the APC and PDP zone their presidential tickets to South East or, in the event this fails, directly send words across to delegates to the parties’ primaries to support South East.
One of the power-brokers consulted in the North reportedly told the South East lobby group that the fact that Igbo live and do business across the country gives most Nigerians confidence that a South East president is needed now, when the country needs to be unified.
Following the success of the nationwide consultation and lobby, South East leaders will this week collectively lay claim to 2023 presidency.
It was learnt that Igbo leaders will this week address a press conference to tell the world why South East should produce next President.
The press conference will have in attendance political leaders, traditional rulers, retired military officers, youth leaders and other stakeholders.
Daily Sun gathered that the press conference will not only say that equity and justice demand that South East should produce next president but also that the zone has competent candidates.
Already some South easterners have declared interest to contest the presidential election. They include Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi; former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; ex-governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha; and business mogul, Sam Ohuabunwa. Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, said he will join the race if the APC zones the presidency to South East.It is believed that many others will join the presidential race in the coming weeks.
