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.”
