The Director-General, Nigeria Film Corporation, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is not averse to the emergence of his successor from the Southeast.
Maduekwe spoke during an interaction with reporters in his Ohafia country home to mark his 68th birthday.
He said it was mischievous for people to describe Buhari as a hater of the people of the Southeast, adding that the president’s political antecedent pointed to the contrary.
“It is not true that the president does not want a president of Igbo extraction, rather he is supportive of the cause.”
According to him, there is no way Buhari will hate Igbo people and in 2003 he picked the late Chuba Okadigbo, an eminent Igbo man, as his presidential running mate.
“In 2007, he also selected another prominent Igbo man, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, as his running mate.”
He cited the appointment of Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume (Imo) as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He also mentioned Mr Ogbugo Ukoha (Abia) as the Executive Director, Distributions System, Storage and Retail Infrastructure in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
He asked: “Why are we not celebrating these appointments of our people by the president and stop criticising him?”
