Ex-S’East PGs write Lawan, Gbajabiamila, others on Igbo president

From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu

The Association of South East Past Presidents General (ASEPP) has written the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, insisting that South East produce the next president.

The association also reaffirmed its endorsement of former chief judge of Anambra State, Peter Umeadi, as presidential candidate for the election.

ASEPP, which restated its stand that a president of South East extraction in 2023 would make for equity, justice and fairness in the country, said its choice of Umeadi was based on personal merit, intimidating credentials and antecedents.

In separate letters to Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, and former Senate deputy president, Ike Ekweremadu, ASEPP, which had, on May 18, 2021 in Enugu, made a public presentation of Umeadi as Igbo consensus candidate in the 2023 election, solicited the moral and political support of Nigerian leaders and all national lawmakers who the association also sent the letter to, towards achieving the choice of Umeadi.

The association, which is made up of over 2,000 communities in the five states of the South East had its letters signed by the National President, Mazi Omife I. Omife; National Secretary, Charles Nnorom, and chairmen of the five states, Omife, Anambra; Daniel Okoro, Ebonyi; Chukwuka Chukwu, Enugu; C. Otti, Abia and Ekelem Onyekachi, Imo.

The letter read in part: “The Association of South East Past Presidents General takes it as a patriotic obligation to play a frontline role in locating a credible Igbo man to bear the mantle of presidential candidate. A person with requisite credentials, antecedents, and personal attributes, formidable enough to win nationwide acceptability in all geopolitical zones of the country, a person with presidential qualities who will be able to deliver good leadership and governance and re-set the country on the path of true democracy, peace, unity and progress.

“After a long and rigorous search, we finally located such a man in the person of Umeadi, based on personal merit, intimidating credentials and antecedents.”

The group urged Ekweremadu to assist in selling Umeadi to political and non-political leaders in other geopolitical zones of the country.