A Nigerian President from South East geo-pooitical zone in 2023 will promote stability and National cohesion in the country, says the Coalition Of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL).
According to a press statement signed by the COSEYL president general, Chief Goodluck Egwu Ibem, “If the South West are agitating for the presidency in 2023 because of the role the played to enthrone APC government in 2015, they are right to do so, but for the sake of equity , justice and fairness, our South West brothers should reciprocate and pay us back with what we did for them in 1999 by voting and supporting their son Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as president even when the entire South West voted against their son.
The call came on the heels of the campaign to produce Nigeria’s president of an Igbo extraction in 2023.
COSEYL, however, recalled that “In 1999 the Igbos in all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria voted massively for Obasanjo as President from South West”.
“We scratch the back of South West in 1999 and 2023 is the ample time for South West to return the favor by supporting an Igbo man as President of Nigeria come 2023.
“Dr. Alex Ekwueme who was from South East contested for the PDP Presidential primaries in 1998 Jos PDP convention and he was not supported because there was an understanding and arrangement that zoned the Presidential ticket to South West for peace, stability and cohesion of the country. All South East delegates were mandated to vote for Obasanjo against their own son Dr. Ekwueme.
“All Progressive Party (APP) also toured the same line by zoning their Presidential ticket to South West. AD also zoned their presidential ticket to South West . Chief Olu Falae emerged as the Presidential flag bearer for APP and AD.
“Nigeria’s progress and stability is bigger than Party politics and individual interests. We must make sacrifices in order to keep Nigeria one as one United country.
“The country has been in unison on zoning as a factor for cohesion and progress. The elder statesmen and our founding fathers knows that zoning of the highest office in the country is a major factor that unites the country to remain together and live in peace. The power of zoning cannot be overemphasize. Zoning is the engine that keeps the country in motion. Without zoning of the Presidency, the country will stop moving to its destination. No engine, no movement, and when they no movement we remain stagnant in one place.
“To throw away zoning is to throw away the only thing (engine) that keeps the country in motion to progress and development. Nothing on Earth can survive without moving. Anything that is alive must move and that is a sign of life.
“After the PDP primaries and Obasanjo emerged as the PDP Presidential candidate, Dr. Alex Ekwueme accepted defeat and worked whole heartedly for the victory of the party . He accepted the decision of the elder statesmen to field and support Obasanjo even when Obasanjo did nothing for the party to merit such exalted office. He made the sacrifice to keep Nigeria one as one united country.
“Ekwueme was the founder of G34 , a group that metamorphosed to become PDP . He was a founding leader of the party at that time.
Obasanjo was in prison when Ekwueme was moving round the country to establish PDP political structures in all the 36 states of the federation, a structure that Chief Obasanjo used to become president.
“2023 is the time for the South West to return the favour and also do the same thing for the South East after 24 years.
The South East has made enough sacrifices for the country’s progress and development . The region deserves the support of other geo-political zones to produce the president come 2023.“It is well-known fact that the South West contributed immensely towards the growth and electoral victory of the APC more than the South East but when National unity, cohesion and progress in at stake , you have to make sacrifices in order to move the country forward.
“We call on all and sundry whose believe in the progress, unity and development of Nigeria to support a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction come 2023.
