Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
Political leaders of the South East geo-political zone has stated their resolve for the zone to produce the next president of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election.
The leaders in a cross-party meeting convened by the Senate Chief Whip Senator Orji Uzor- Kalu, at Igbere in Bende LGA of Abia state on Tuesday resolved to support any major political party in the country that would zone its presidential ticket to the zone.
The meeting was attended by former Senate president Chief Anyim Pius, former deputy Senate president Chief Ike Ekweremadu, deputy chief whip of the House of representatives Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives Tobi Okechukwu and the spokesman of the House of representatives Chief Ben Kalu and others.
The leaders in their various remarks pointed out that the essence of the meeting was for political leaders of the South East extraction to come together as a people to achieve their long term aspirations of producing a Nigerian president.
In a five points communique issued at the end of the meeting signed by Anyim Pius, Kalu and others, the leaders observed that Nigerians across political, ethnic and religious divides fought hard, long and collectively to enthrone the current democratic dispensation to engender national development and guarantee a just and equitable society.
It also observed that the presidency of Nigeria has rotated between Northern and Southern Nigeria and among various geo-political zone, adding that since the South West and South South geopolitical zones had produced president, it's expected that the South East should have its turn since it is expected that power will rotate to Southern Nigeria in 2023.
The communique read in part,"The people of the South East have continued to demonstrate their commitment to the unity and development of the country. Not only has the zone actively supported the emergence of Nigerian president of other geo-political
extraction, the people are also known to be major agents of development and heavy investors outside their zone and often next in population after the indegenes in any state of Nigeria.
"We Recommit ourselves to deepening of the Nation's democracy as the surest way of fast-tracking national development and building an agalitarian society where no man is oppressed for reason of his class, ethnic, religious or political affiliation and background.
"We implore Nigerians across political, ethnic, religious and geopolitical divides and persuasion to support the people of the South East geo-political zone to produce a Nigerian president of South East extraction as a mark of good faith and to promote justice and National harmony.
"For emphasis, we deem this very important in giving every part of the country a sense of belonging and in promoting national unity and solidarity. It is the loudest reassurance of equality of all parts and that the country indeed belongs to all members of Nigerian Commonwealth.
"Consequently we implore all the political parties to cede their presidential tickets in the 2023 general election to the South East in the interest of justice, equity and national unity.
"To make good our demand and reciprocate such good faith, we have decided, as a geo-political zone with substantial presence in every part of thecountry to give a block vote and throw our full weight behind any major political party, particularly the All Progressive Congress and the Peoples Demcratic Party, that zones its presidential ticket to the South East in 2023.
"We emphasize that what we seek is a Nigerian president of South East extraction, one that will work to further unite and develop every part of the country. Such a president will be president of all Nigerians irrespective of their political, ethnic and religious background".
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