We Can’t Trust Atiku’s Succession Promise To Southeast – Ohanaeze

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – As campaigns for the 2023 general elections enter top gear, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and other prominent South-East leaders have urged Nigerians to disregard comments by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar promising the presidency to the geo-political zone come 2027.

Importantly, the leaders insist that the Southeast or the Igbos should not take Atiku’s statement seriously because it was now the turn of the Southeast zone to produce the next president after eight years of a Northerner in power.

The Ohanaeze’s message is coming on the heels of a statement by Alhaji Atiku during the PDP’s Southeast Zonal Stakeholders’ Meeting in Enugu, where he urged Ndigbo to cue behind him for a shot at the nation’s apex political office after his tenure as President.

Speaking at the meeting, the former Vice President had promised to help actualise an Igbo presidency in 2027 should the region support him to win the election in 2023.

However, dismissing the offer made by the PDP presidential flag bearer as clearly indefensible, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group said Nigerians should also do the same in the spirit of fairness and equity as it is the turn of the Southeast to produce Nigeria’s next president.

A statement by its Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia said; “Comments are free, facts are sacred. Atiku has said what he wanted to say, but he would have realized that nobody would take that advice. No person from the Southeast or an Igbo would take that advice seriously.

“I can assure you no person from Southeast or Igboland will take that advice that we should wait until 2027 because, right from time, everybody knows that it is the turn of the South and, by extension, Southeast to produce the next president.

“So, any patriotic Nigerian will realise that what is best for Nigeria is to allow the Southeast to produce the President. Any person talking or discussing the contrary knows in his or her conscience that he is doing the wrong thing or taking the wrong direction.”

According to Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze is not in support of anyone making comments to the contrary, noting that; “It is not acceptable to the Southeast and the whole Ndigbo. Everybody knows it is the turn of the Southeast to produce the next President in 2023; any person talking to the contrary knows he is making a mistake and that person is not sincere.”

Also reacting to Atiku’s comments, a former president of Ohanaeze, Imo State chapter, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, cautioned the Wazirin Adamawa against playing God, saying; “I think that promise is anchored illogically on a smokescreen because he is not God and nobody knows tomorrow or is sure of tomorrow”.

Chukwu further said; “Even if the power were to be given to him on a platter of sentiment or emotions, there is no guarantee that he will cede power to the Southeast. So, I see that as part of the political rhetoric associated with campaign propaganda. He has no power to do such a thing.”

Tackling Atiku for being against a 2023 Igbo presidency, the Ohanaeze chieftain said; “From the point of jurisprudence, he lacks the locus standi to do that. He lacks the constitutional right to give power to the Southeast.

“Secondly, from an ethical or moral point of view, there is no guarantee that he can do that. Power has vested in the North for the past eight years. What is wrong in allowing a Southeasterner to have a shot at the Presidency this time around?”

In the same vein, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ahamba dismissed the former Vice President’s promise as a political comment not worth bothering oneself about, adding; “We have an Igbo presidential candidate. What stops him from going to the Northeast to say “if I win, I will make sure somebody from the Northeast wins?”

Additionally, the Senior Lawyer said; “It is a campaign strategy to win an election. Atiku has made an offer, you either reject it or accept it. We should not quarrel about it. It is not important.

“For me, I did not see it as an important statement. Nobody has met such a promise in the past.”

Also reacting to Atiku’s remarks, a former President of Aka Ikenga, an association of Igbo professionals, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, said it was a clear misconception that a president could decide where the next president would come from.

Uwazuruike, who is also a lawyer, said; “I know it is not within his powers to even do any such thing. So, it is a clear misconception that a sitting president can decide where the next President would come from.

“Secondly, Igbo do not need such assurance from anybody. All we are saying is that the Southeast should be allowed to produce the next President of Nigeria. Nobody should come and patronize us with such empty words; we are too intelligent for that.”

“Igbo will support whoever they want to support but no promise whether real or imaginary can sway us, we know where we are, we know what to do”, he said – With The Nation report