2023: Presidency Must Return To The South – Ohanaeze
The apex Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said the presidency must return to the south in 2023.
Ohanaeze was reacting to the position of the Northern Elders Forum which is against the zoning of the presidency to the south for 2023.
According to Ohanaeze, the NEF is only against a Southern presidency because it was the turn of the South-East to produce a president.
Ohanaeze said this in a statement titled: “The zoning shenanigans in Nigeria”, signed by its spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia.
“It was also agreed that political offices will be zoned or distributed among the zones in such a way that every zone will have a sense of belonging. Furthermore, the Presidency in Nigeria will rotate among the zones to promote peace, unity and progress.
“The NEF is aware that Nigeria has religiously followed the rotation and zoning principle since 1999 with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (South West) as the elected President of Nigeria. Obasanjo, in keeping with the rotation principle, handed over to former President Umaru Yar’Adua ( North West) in 2007.
“With the death of Yar’Adua, a Southerner, specifically the South-South, in the person of Dr Goodluck Jonathan was elected as President. Jonathan also handed over to a Northerner, President Muhammadu Buhari, whose second tenure of four years will end in 2023. By the rotation and zoning principle that has been in operation in Nigeria, it is only fair that the Presidency be zoned to the South, specifically the South-East region,” he said.