By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Agitate for South East presidency, not Igbo presidency, Ndigbo Lagos has counselled South Easterners, in a clarification that sheds light on how other zones have occupied the Villa without the tag of ethnicity.
Ndigbo Lagos President General, Gen. Obi Abel Umahi (retd), who gave the counsel, noted that when Olusegun Obasanjo served as president (1999-2007), he was regarded as a South West president or a president from the South West, not a Yoruba president.
He added that when Umaru Yar’Adua was president (2007-2010), he was seen as representing the North West, not a Hausa/Fulani president; likewise the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015) was called South South presidency, not Ijaw presidency.
Umahi recalled that in 1993, Sani Abacha created six geopolitical zones in Nigeria – South East, South West, South South, North East, North West, and North Central.
According to him, the zones were created to help streamline the way the country was structured; and to use the zones as yardsticks for equity, justice, and fair play in the allocation of national economic, political and social resources among the component parts of Nigeria.
“Since the inception of the six zones, it has become a standard for the component parts of each zone to lean on this arrangement in demanding for fair play in interactions for allocation of resources,” Umahi said.
“Ndigbo Lagos, the umbrella body of the Igbo nationality groups resident in Lagos, desires to stand on this zoning arrangement to make a point on 2023 presidency that is of grave importance to the South East in particular and Nigeria in general.”
He recalled that following the long stretch of military rule “that was almost completely dominated by the North as heads of government,” it was generally felt that power should shift to the South.
Preparatory to the return to civil rule in 1999, he added, the then two major political parties (PDP and AD) chose their presidential candidates, namely Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falaye respectively, from the South West.
“This opportunity was given to the South West for two major reasons.
“First, power rotation to the South and secondly as compensatory gestures arising from the tragic and toxic Moshood Abiola’s presidency saga. This power shift was to the South West and not referred to as ‘Yoruba Presidency’.
“This clarification is important because the fact that power shifted to the South West didn’t open the doors to the Yorubas in the North Central (Kwara and Kogi) and those in the South South (Edo North) to throw themselves into the ring in contest.
“The power shift or rotation was to South West and not to Yoruba ethnic nationality.
“Similarly the Umaru Yar’Adua presidency was collectively regarded as a North West presidency without being held captive by a Hausa/Fulani nationality group that traversed and lived in other Northern zones.
“The Goodluck Jonathan presidency, though sort of fortuitous in the nature of its emergence, was in its first full term a South South presidency rather than Ijaw.
“Ndigbo Lagos is therefore drawing the attention of Ndigbo worldwide and Nigerians generally to the fact that Nigeria’s 2023 president should rotate to the South and that the South East should take the slot.
“We are asking for ‘Nigerian president of South East’ extraction. We are not asking Nigeria for an ‘Igbo president’ because that will amount to asking Nigeria to possibly alter geo-political-zones-based rotation arrangement for presidency in Nigeria
“We are asking Nigeria to stay true to it. Igbos from other zones can seek the office of Nigerian president when it is the turn of the zone they fall into; South South or North Central.”
Umahi said Igbos in the South East will give their aspirations resounding support when presidency rotates to their zones.
“However, we would be excited if there could be boundary adjustments that would unite all of us as one entity. But before then, let’s exercise our political franchise where we presently are as our zone.”
He disclosed that the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo (the umbrella organisation of Igbos worldwide) Nnia Nwodo, and other Igbo leaders are making contacts with leaders from other zones and interest groups for support for a South East president of Nigeria.
