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From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Despite ongoing horse-trading for the 2023 presidency, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, have urged Nigerians to leave the 2023 presidency for the South East.
The duo, who spoke when the Political Action Committee (PAC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by its President General, George Obiozor, paid them a visit at Abeokuta and Lagos respectively, were in agreement that for fairness and justice, South East should produce the president in 2023.
Ohanaeze delegation to the South West included Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okey Emuchay; two former presidents general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo and Gary Igariwey; Anya O. Anya, Simeon Okeke, and the National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia.
Obasanjo, who the delegation met at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, on Monday, reiterated that to ensure peace, justice, fairness and sustainable national development, the next president must come from the South East, adding that the least acceptable minimum was a president from the southern part of Nigeria.
Obasanjo, who commended the Ohanaeze delegation for demanding their rights, said what he owes Nigeria “is sincerity, objectivity and guidance.”
Stating that it was inconceivable to have peace and progress in a country that is rooted in injustice, the former president 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.”
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,” just as he reminded Nigerians that he strived to ensure he “was succeeded by the late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the North.”
Earlier, Obiozor had commended Obasanjo for his unwavering commitment to peace and unity of Nigeria, adding he 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.
Corroborating Obasanjo, Afenifere leader, Adebanjo, who received the Ohanaeze PAC at his Lekki residence, explained that he believes in principles based on equity and justice.
He informed his visitors that he was recruited into politics by Nnamdi Azikiwe but later joined Obafemi Awolowo, disclosing 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.
Adebanjo reasserted that “it is the turn of the South East to produce a president for Nigeria,” noting that he told Bola Tinubu “not in the newspaper, but face-to-face” not to contest the 2023 election.
Lamenting what was presently going on, he said: “Now that it is the turn of the South East, they are propounding a new theory that the presidency must be based on merit and all that. If it is the question of merit, till kingdom comes, the South alone will produce the president.”
Nwodo, who pointed out the unique relationship between the Igbo and the Yoruba, said an Igbo blood has never been spilled on Yoruba land and that at the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970, all the Igbo properties were duly handed over to them unconditionally.
Commending the spirit of hospitality among the Yoruba, Nwodo thanked God that there were still the likes of Adebanjo in Nigeria.
