By Myke Uzendu
Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, has described as political antics, claims by some political leaders that the South-East has no qualified aspirant that can rule Nigeria.
Nwodo in a interview with Arise TV recently, said those making such statements qwre doing so just to deny the Igbos their turn to be president of Nigeria.
He argues that such notions are designed simply to perpetuate political injustices against the Igbos, pointing out that Ndigbo have demonstrated more love and sacrifices for the unity of Nigeria than any other tribe.
According to him, in 1999, when two frontline Igbo politicians, late Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu were poised to emerge presidential candidates of their respective parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the then All People Party (APP), they were made to concede their ambitions to assuage the injustice allegedly done to the SSout-West geo-political zone of Nigeria through the annulment of June 12 presidential elections, perceived to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.
He said the sacrifices produced Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae, all from the South-West, as presidential candidates of their respective political parties.
Nwodo argued that after Obasanjo eight years tenure, and in order to assuage the feelings of the North for keeping them out of power for eight years, president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was brought in to fill the position for the North.
He added further that Goodluck Jonathan was equally considered following same path to calm the nerves of the Niger-Delta, stressing that all the arrangements were made to establish that the nation has a conscience.
He therefore wondered “why the same conscience takes a flight when it gets to the turn of the Igbo.”
He emphasised that Nigeria needs a presidential candidate with integrity; one who will show clear economic road map to Nigeria; a candidate who can communicate, harness the economic diversities and potentials of the country, pointing out that the former Senate President, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, among other Igbo who have declared interest in the presidency of Nigeria, are eminently qualified to provide such leadership.
He said that Anyim, having served as President of the Senate and Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), has all the exposure and requisite experiences to govern Nigeria.
He maintained that there are other eminently qualified Igbos like Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, Peter Obi, etc.
He said, “we have materials. We have people who have demonstrated credible leadership credentials in the past, wondering what were the crimes of the Igbo if we cannot be considered fit to govern Nigeria”.
He posited that the North-East has a commission just to heal the wounds and that Niger-Delta Commission and Amnesty Programme were also created just to heal the wounds. Nwodo asserted that Nigeria indeed owes the South-East a lot.
According to him, the South-East ought to be the first to deserve an Economic Commission, just as has been done to the North-East and Niger-Delta, asking, “why is it that when it comes to South-East, equity, fairness etc takes a flight?
“There’s no way we can sustain a six geo-political zone with injustice, unfair treatment and denial of rights to one and expect same not to complain”, he said.
