Tobias Sylvester
A presidential candidate of the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has fault the call for Igbo presidency, saying it is “a divisive strategy”.
Omoyele Sowore Faults Igbo Presidency
During a chat with Arise TV on Tuesday, the presidential hopeful said the decision to zone the presidency to a certain region is “undemocratic”, noting that it would make no difference if the person elected was not the right candidate.
According to him, competency and great character should be parameters to choosing the next president in 2023 and not zoning.
He noted that many people in the South-East region are not even interested in who becomes the next president as they are only interested in a referendum.
Sowore said, “Each time there is an election cycle, the political elite in Nigeria who makes this decision, which is undemocratic, will throw a bone at the Nigerian people. And their singsong this time around is that they want an Igbo to become the president. It’s not a decision that was taken with consent and the affirmation of the Nigerian people.
“If you go to Igboland today, they are not even interested in the elections. How do you tell IPOB members that it’s their turn to be president when they are agitating for a referendum and self-determination. Nobody went to the Yorubas to say who they wanted. Nobody went to Nigerians.
“All Nigerians are entitled to good governance and progress. An Igbo man becoming the president will not make a difference if he’s not the right person to lead. We should zone the presidency to the geographical area or intellectual area known as competence and great character.
“It’s a very divisive strategy to make people believe that if you bring an Igbo president, suddenly Nigeria will become El-Dorado.”
Meanwhile, the Leader of Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has insisted that it’s the turn of the South-East to produce the next president in the interest of fairness and equity.
