2023 ELECTIONS: SOUTHEAST LEADERS NONCHALANT AS ATIKU, OTHERS PUSH AGGRESIVELY FOR PRESIDENTIAL TICKET

By Law Mefor

As 2023 gradually approaches, the campaign for electing a Nigerian President from the southeast and ending Igbo extraction has been raging as at least five pan-Igbo groups have been organizing programs on the theme and engaging Nigerians. But even in the midst of all these some notable aspirants from the southeast zone do not seem to be stepping to the task and staking their right to the coveted office, as their counterparts from the northern side have been aggressively doing of late.  

As of recent, one or two of these presidential hopefuls from the East have publicly denied involvement in their posters adorning the streets as they do not want to offend certain interests. But they seem to forget that power is not given but taken, and whoever desires the office of the president must be prepared to fight for it.

We are led to recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had to try a record four times as he was really determined to occupy the office, yet, not one aspirant from the South East with a party platform has shown such commitment and desire to run. The once making some relevant noise about becoming Nigeria’s President do not belong to either of the major parties in the country; PDP or APC and sadly its not possible for these minority parties to bypass these major parties and produce a President given the nature of the country’s democracy. In other words, aspirants who do not belong to either the PDP or the APC stand no real chance as their parties have no control of any level of state machinery and structures

The igbos have very qualified hands who can run for the office of the presidency and win. In the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) there are former governor of Anambra state and former vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi; former deputy senate president and speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu; Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi; governor of Enugu state, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi;  as well as former Senate president and former secretary of the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim as well as Senate minority leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe. In the ruling APC, there are men like  former Abia state governor and minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; former Senate president, Chief Ken Nnamani; former governor of Abia State and Senate Chief Whip Orji Uzor Kalu and former Governor of Imo State and serving Senator, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Not forgetting the minister labour and former governor of Anambra state Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige and former presidential adviser, Sen. Ben Ndi Obi.

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And we have these towering figures in the south east who are also global players and therefore capable of delivering topnotch Nigerian presidency. They are include former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, former deputy governor of the CBN Professor Kingsley Moghalu and former coordinating minister and minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as well as Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa. But without party platforms, one is at sea regarding their possibility.

These men and women meet any criteria and principles of selection of potential candidates from the South East – integrity, national visibility, acceptability, competence and political courage. The South East is therefore bubbling and teeming with presidential materials. Yet, none of them is coming forward to be counted and one or two showing significant interest have no party platforms and can only succeed in making statements and setting personal records as former presidential candidates.

While on the other hand, the North is fighting aggressively to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor as its political gladiators and presidential hopefuls are already upping their game. The usual suspects have not minced words, both in spoken and body language, about their ambition to succeed Buhari. Initially leading the part of the northern turks was former vice president and presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019, Atiku Abubakar, himself a veteran of many presidential elections. Former speaker of the House of Reps and current governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal, is yet another formidable aspirant and also a veteran who contested for PDP presidential ticket in 2019. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is yet another. As a former senate president and former governor, he is without a shred of doubt overly qualified as well.

Indeed the north are really fighting head on and are not mincing words about it as the governor of Bauchi State, Sen. Bala Mohammed has his posters are all over the federal capital territory  and is basking in the media focus. As a sitting governor and former minister of the federal capital territory, Bala Mohammed’s democratic credential is by no means small. If not for anything, he led the Unity Group of the 7th Senate to push for the Doctrine of Necessity which saw Goodluck Jonathan taking over power from President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua when the latter was bedridden and his presidency inactive.

These four men powerful men are no strangers to power and are already reeling and reeking with confidence while their South East counterparts are hiding in the shadows, scared of what has remained unfathomable to discerning minds, perhaps waiting for a presidential ticket to be delivered to them in their doorstep.

What is more discouraging is the fact that the South East hopefuls have also not shown sufficient courage and leadership in addressing the rising insecurity in their region, where non-state actors hold sway and command citizens to stay at home every Monday without any of them, including governors, being able to give the citizens the order to defile it.

With their show of nonchalance and disinterest, there are no strong holds and justification stopping the north from taking over power and stopping the likes of of Bala Mohammed and Atiku Abubakar from going for the President.

• Dr. Law Mefor is a Senior Fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought; Tel.: +234- 905 642 4375 E-mail: drlawmefor@gmail.com; follow me on tweeter:@LawMefor1.

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