Victor EzejaAs the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic party (PDP) draw closer, the South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Igbo Archbishops and Bishops have joined their voices in calling on Nigerians to elect the country’s next president from the region.
They specifically urged delegates of the two main political parties (APC and PDP) to vote for presidential aspirants from Southeast to get the ticket for the 2023 election.
The Joint Body had invited all the presidential aspirants from the South-East region to consultative virtual meetings which held on Monday 23rd May 2022 to chart a course on how to actualize the agenda.
In a joint statement signed by the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Nnaemeka Achebe; and Secretary, Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, Dr Chibuzo R. Opoko, they commended the aspirants from South-East for stepping forward to contest for the number one post in the country and insisted that it is the turn of the region to produce the president in 2023 based on the principle of fairness and equity.
They also commended all notable individuals from other regions of the country for supporting the call for the next president of the country to emerge from South East, noting that they align with that move.
Groups argued that South-East deserve to be given a chance of having a shot at the presidency because they have supported other geo-political zones at different times to rule the country and urged that same treatment should be reciprocated this time.
Part of the statement reads, “At times like this, all men and women are called to rise above their personal interests and affirm that no individual is greater than the whole.
“For the South-East region, the quest for the high office of the President of Nigeria is a single, indivisible quest that aligns with the Nigerian dream in which all citizens are able to reach the heights of their full potential, and all its constituent regions have an opportunity to provide leadership without overt or covert ceilings.
“The Joint Body and an overwhelming majority of Nigerians believe that the emergence of a President from the South East region in 2023 is indeed a fair and just lever to take hold of, and it is also the moral and ethical place to stand to move Nigeria into an ascendant future of pride, prosperity and well-being for all.”
They noted that South-East has made tremendous contribution in Nigeria’s democratic journey, by lending support to candidates from all other regions of Nigeria at general elections.
They said, “We call on the South West to remember the part played by the South East region in 1999 to support the emergence of the President of Nigeria from the South West. We call on the South South to remember how the South East supported their bid for the Presidency in 2011. We call on the North East and North West to remember how the South East has also supported candidates from their regions in past elections.”
The groups also urged individuals and groups de-marketing the agenda of South-East Presidency to desist from that in the interest of justice, fairness and equity to the region.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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