President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Prof Uzodinma Nwala has called on the North, Southwest and South South to steer clear of the 2023 presidency.
According to him, it was the turn of the South East because all the other regions have taken their turns to lead the country.
Nwala noted that the zoning formula which was fought for to ensure that every region occupied the office of the President in the country have been messed up.
“I was in the 1993/94 constitutional conference, the first time that zoning was raised. I was one of those that fought for it,” he told Sun.
“The idea was to move the presidency round among the six geo-political zones – North and South alternation.
“The presidency goes to one zone in the North and next time to another zone in the South until it goes round among the six political zones, but you can see that they have messed it up.
“The North has no business asking for presidency in 2023, as the presidency should go to the South. In the South, the Southwest should not look towards that direction as Obasanjo has taken their turn. In the same way, the South-south, as Jonathan has taken their turn.
“It is the turn of the Southeast. But the problem is that if we are not united to decide who should represent us, you find out that they will from long range pick a candidate for us.
“I’m happy with what happened in the last election, the Igbo voted as one people, as they voted for Atiku and Obi. If we sustain this, when 2023 comes, we should be able to determine who will be there for us.
“As things stand now, at the constitutional conference, we were able to forge a national alliance that will make the hegemony take the back seat as minority.
“As things are now, if there is no rigging and the field is left open, there will be a pattern of voting – majority of Southwest, majority in the South-South, majority in Igbo land, majority in Southern Kaduna, majority in the Middle Belt, the Talakawas in the North all of them will vote as one people.
“What is important for us as Igbo is to try and hold ourselves together as a people; president or no president, let us hold ourselves as one people, fight for our own internal autonomy. If we do that they will be looking for us. By right and if things are done correctly, 2023 has to be the turn of the Igbo.
“We should make sure that their agents, who they have empowered and made very rich and who are fooling themselves playing all sorts of devilish politics; we should make sure that there is no place for them as people representing us.”
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