Buhari shortest route to Igbo Presidency, says APC spokesman
Osita Okechukwu
SPOKESPERSON of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has canvassed support for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, saying it was the easiest way an Igbo man could occupy the presidency at the end of his administration.
Addressing guests after the Junior Chamber International (JCI) U.S.A., Enugu Chapter, a Non-governmental organisation (NGO), honoured him with an award alongside three other prominent Nigerians, for his struggle to advance democracy in Nigeria, Okechukwu warned Ndigbo to refrain from anything that would derail the present administration.
He said: “Buhari’s eight-year term is the fastest route to actualising our dream for a president of Igbo extraction, through peaceful means — not hate propaganda. From the zoning convention, when you consider all factors in our favour, in 2023, it will be our turn, as our brothers in the Southwest and South South had been president since our return to civil rule in 1999.”
According to Okechukwu: “In 2023, Ndigbo could argue that the South West has given Nigeria a president for eight years; the north has produced a president and the South-South has produced a president. So, it is proper that the South-East should give the country a president as well.”
The event tagged “Sustainable Development: The Role of Young Active Citizens,” was held at the weekend in Enugu. It was the annual convention of the JCI, Enugu Chapter during which it celebrated its “30 years of impact since 1985.”
Okechukwu regretted that, even up till now, there are some northerners eyeing President Buhari’s position so that at the end of his first tenure, another northerner might take over and such person would want to preside over the affairs of the nation for eight years before the rotation will come to the South-East zone.
Such plan will not favour the Igbo; hence, Ndigbo should rally round Buhari now to enable him succeed, so that at the end of his second tenure, naturally it will be the turn of Ndigbo to produce Nigeria’s president,” he emphasised.
I call on you my people to support President Buhari because he is a man of his words. He has promised that he is going to reactivate the coal mine in Enugu, rehabilitate the deplorable federal roads in the southeast zone and build the second Niger bridge. Let’s give him some time.”
“We must as Ndigbo who have contributed more than any other ethnic group to the growth and development of Nigeria, plot our graph very well in the political equation of Nigeria,” he cautioned.
The APC chieftain warned that the Igbo should not be deceived into believing that youth unemployment, decay infrastructure and other socio-political problems were peculiar to the southeast. “The gross unemployment, despair, despondency among youths, is not limited to our southeast zone,” he stressed.
According to him, such problems cut across the entire nation, describing it as a “sordid situation” which was worrisome to President Buhari, the governors, legislators and other stakeholders. “Nobody, except sadists, are happy that we are hungry,” he remarked.
“Let nobody tell the Igbos that it is because they don’t have their own country, and that’s why we don’t progress or prosper,” he said.
He stressed that at no time in Nigeria’s history did she need more disciplined, hardworking and responsible youths than now, recalling that the same despair, gross unemployment nationwide which Nigeria currently faced also hit the whole of America in 1915 prompting Mr Henry Giessenbier to found Junior Chamber International on 13th October, 1915 to inculcate the above qualities in young people.
He said the lesson for Nigeria to learn from the 1915 American experience was that the U.S.A. through discipline, sheer commitment and responsible patriots, surmounted the harsh realities of the early last century. “Nigeria shall overcome the harsh realities of today, the same way America sailed out of the troubled water times. All we require like the Americans is love for our dear country, hard work, perseverance and steadfastness,” Okechukwu said.
Joining other prominent Nigerians and groups to call for the release of the director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, who has been detained since October 19, Okechukwu, nevertheless, pointed out that Kanu’s “narrative is vile and condemnable,” adding that “his negative propaganda shows that he neither does not care about the strides Ndigbo made nationwide nor the lives of Ndigbo in Dutse, Potiskum, Mubi or Akure. My humble self fought in Boys Company in Biafra and knows the danger of Kanu’s negative narrative.”
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15 Comments
Okechukwu, I agree with most of your statement, except that igbo have contributed more than any other ethnic group to the growth of Nigeria. Your people have actually contributed the least. Once your people change their stupid attitude of trying to denigrate other ethnic group and you behave well, we might give you the presidency for 4 years. And if you mess up, you will never taste it again.
Sure Mr, without your permission, who dares to breathe. You are atypical of the arrogance that the nation can truly do without. You call the shots you decide who is worthy and who isn’t we really need the type of autocratic leadership your type represent and we need it like we need a hole in the head. Try thinking with your brain and not your prejudices. You have no understanding of struggle, you know what created great nations of the earth? Without struggle and conflict you cant really build a sustainable nation and I’m sure you cannot name me one such country whose present was not built on struggle and dissent.
Talk about Igbo presidency in Nigeria is fraudulent.
How can anyone talk about Buhari having an 8 year term when he’s been a disaster so far?
If Buhari is a disaster for being in power for just six months, what would you called your kinsmen GEJ that stole everything without conscience in Nigeria? What you would called Okonjo Iweala, Anyim, Diezani, that were in your brother’s government for six years without any development in SE? Notwithstanding GEJ still got your maximum support to continue to destroy Nigeria. Igbos are the most selfish, greedy and unprogressive tribe in Nigeria and yiu have drawn hatred from all and Sundry. All your lives is money even if you will carry drugs or do prostitutions or arm robbers to have the money. Why didn’t you advocated for Biafra when your Dumbo and senseless GEJ was in power and when the most sensitive economic institutions were handed over to Igbos? I doubt any sensible man from other tribes will vote for an Igbo man as President. You have demonstrable to us that you cannot be trusted with power and money. I wish they let you go, because I am sure within a very short time your greed will destroy the so called Biafra
My brother? My kinsman? I am not Igbo.
I have no relationship with that man.
What I do know is that here was an administration that saw the need to actually measure the economy. The economy grew significantly under the administration.
A plan to revive and increase the rail network was put into motion.
Plans to increase agricultural output were put into motion.
Airports were revamped and new ones were built
More universities were built. Almajiri schools were built.
This current administration has no such plans and has struggled to do the basics, even naming ministers has been problematic for GMB.
It is only a fool that would expect a govt to have achieved nothing in 5 years. Even Abacha had his own achievements. But it is not just what was achieved that matters but it has to be assessed along with the resources available and the condition at take off. You have listed some achievements some of which cannot be disputed especially bcos you have constructed it to reflect some of the reservations that one could have mentioned, But I have heard so much of achievements in agriculture but where are the proofs? Has it increased access to food by Nigerians? Building or creating more universities? In name you mean. We have not forgotten how many months ASUU, NASU, ASUP and so on were on strike during that regime. How far was he able to upgrade the standard of the existing ones before creating (in name perhaps) new ones? Almajiri schools no dispute, commitment to electoral process neutrality give it to him (except for some desperation in his intra party scheming). Power and works very terrible. For almost 2 years I do not think I had power up to 2 minute per day on the average and I accumulated over N350k in bills for the darkness that I enjoyed. Before GEJ and in the earlier part of his govt, I was still able to get over 3 hours on the average. At least I have something better now. During GEJ’S term, my company’s operations shrank continuously and workers were massively laid off not less than 3 times. Many friends and family members have similar stories to tell. At least obj had a semblance of fighting corruption (whatever the motive), GEJ completely went to sleep and virtually legalized it. For a govt that started losing the people’s goodwill 7 months after, based on fuel subsidy removal, one would have expected he would prioritize the rehabilitation of at least 2 refineries.
Proof my friend, get the proof, no proof you are just spinning innuendoes! where were you when IBB, Abacha, Abubakar, Obasanjo and more stole Nigeria blind? Common electricity that country is unable to generate. Obasanjo took $19billion and no power. You guys turn your back when those who are stealing are from your neck of the woods but when someone else goes in there you cry thief. Get the proof and prosecute all who stole regardless of who they are.
I am a die-hard Igbo Nationalist who witnessed the 1966/67 to 1970 Biafra – Nigeria civil war as a child . I strongly believe that the so-called Nnamdi Kanu should be tried for murder, along with the reckless, trigger-happy “police men” who killed some innocent bystanders in Onitsha, Anambra State just last week. I will personally make sure that Nnamdi Kanu is held accountable for making it possible for Nigerian savage police to destroy several precious Igbo lives recently . We warned Mr Kanu that the Igbo have already been killed enough for this course but he defied us in London to return to Nigeria simply to cause problems for our people. Biafra must be achieved BUT NOT by violence means ! Nnamdi Kanu must pay for his wickedness and stupidity we wiser comrades are watching him very carefully .
Stop blaming the victim. The Biafra insurgency is symptomatic of a larger problem in Nigeria. I would like to see the country unite but how can that happen if Igbos are still being traumatized with violence and ridicule?
yes
Frankly for my money all this just exacerbates the totally flawed “quota” system. Instead of Nigeria trying to develop a fully democratic nation, we are pandering to a quota system that does not guarantee a meritocracy. I really don’t care who the president is and from where he comes if he is able to do the will of the people. Let us stop playing up to this senseless an unprogressive system of neo tribalism. That is why the nation is polarized along tribal lines still. Change the playing field by detrabilizing the country, institute safety nets and that should stop all the bellyaching and tribal sentiments and corruption to boot. The north should stop agitating for rotating presidents one south one north. The south is not monolithic and the north should stop acting as though it were either!
Do ibos have anyone matured enough to be president of a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria? Ibos are too clannish, too emotional, too childish, and only think of themselves, you will put ibos in everything, whether qualified or not. We can’t afford that!
APC does not zone, so how will you win a primary? Nobody will vote for ibo, even if you win APC primary, the nation will not vote for ibo because of all this Biafraud rubbish. You have shown us your true colors that you just want to destroy Nigeria. Last Minister of Works was ibo, why did he not build the 2nd Niger bridge, and Federal roads in SE?
Anyway, an ibo was President for 5 years and a month and he was voted out because he was useless,that is GEJ, the first and last ibo President!
WITH DUE RESPECT, MR. OKECHUKWU IT APPEARS THAT YOUR HEIGHTENED EXPOSURE TO POST APC VICTORIES -TRAUMATIC DELUSIONS, DETERIORATES YOUR REASON TO AGGRAVATE YOUR GULLIBILITY?
The Ndigbo should forget about Biafra and prepare to contest for the Presidency in 2019. Biafra dead and was buried 12/01/1970. The real CHANGE shall come in 2019 because Senators, Governors and top leaders of the ruling party
will start to decamp before 2018, that is Nigeria greed politics.
We will review and take appropriate action.