May 21, 2022
•Stop sabotaging our common interest—Nwodo cautions
By Anayo Okoli, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Chinonso Alozie, Steve Oko & Ikechukwu Odu
THE clamour for the next president to emerge from the South-East zone has been a long agitation from the people of the zone. They argue that it is one of the things that would reduce the current massive agitation for Biafra Republic by the youths from the area, an agitation that has almost ruined the zone.
However, it is worrisome that some politicians are bent on working against the collective pursuit. Notable politicians as Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who initially declared his interest to run for the position suddenly chickened out. Together with Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, the Senate Chief Whip started championing the presidential ambition of Senate President Ahmad Lawan from North-East. Orji Uzor Kalu and Uzodimma’s move has drawn the anger of NdigboNonagenarian, foremost Igbo leader and First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, angered by the action, has dismissed them and other Igbo politicians supporting non-Igbo aspirants as people with “no political relevance and cannot make any difference toward the project of Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.”Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, Chief Amechi, who said that though anybody has the right to support an aspirant of his or her choice, expressed joy that the South- East aspiration has been getting good support from leaders from other zones.
Mbazulike therefore, urged aspirants of South-East extraction not to lose sleep over the actions of those politicians he said have no electoral value. He charged them to redouble their campaigns and continue to dialogue with people from other ethnic nationalities in towards realising their ambitions.
“It is the delegates to the parties’ national convention that will decide or determine who will be their parties’ flag bearers not people who are not in the convention or anybody by the side. The delegates will decide who will be candidates of their parties for the contest.We appreciate notable Nigerians who have been honest and vocal in demanding and insisting that it is the turn of Ndigbo of South-East to produce the next president of Nigeria; we appreciate them, people like Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark and many others, even from Middle Belt. They have been honest and genuine in their demand for Nigerians to support and allow the people of South-East to produce the next president of Nigeria,” Amechi said.
On the issue of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and some Igbo politicians supporting and canvassing votes for non- Southeasterners, Chief Amechi said: “Orji Uzor Kalu and his likes have the right to support anybody they want to support for the President of Nigeria in the 2023 Presidential election. They are, however, not so relevant in Igbo land; they can’t make any difference.
