Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo state and a senator representing Imo West, has joined the advocacy for the 2023 presidency to be zoned to the southeast.
Speaking in Enugu on Friday, October 30, the former governor stated that the southeast leaders have reached a unilateral decision that the next president should come from the Igbo clan.
Okorocha said the decision was made by Igbo leaders across parties, differences and affiliations having resolved to work for the same interest of the Ndigbo ahead of the 2023 general election.
Southeast governors, Ohanaeze Ndigbo reveal three key steps they are taking to achieve Igbo presidency in 2023
The conversation on who takes the baton of leadership from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 has been gaining momentum with groups, coalitions and individuals establishing arguments on where the presidency should be zoned to.
Top politicians including former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, Governor Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and a host of others have been given support to take the leadership baton when Buhari-north presidency ends.
The electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had scheduled February 28 for the next presidential election.
Okorocha, speaking against the backdrop of the recently held EndSARS protest in the southeast region, said the nationwide demonstration is a wake-up call for Igbo and Nigerian leaders to rise to their responsibilities to the people and youths in particular.
He said the protest will allow the political leaders to take “necessary steps to correct some of the things perceived as wrongdoings.”
On why the Igbo leaders have decided to speak with one voice ahead of the general election in 2023, the former governor said:
“We are not getting young at all, and we don’t want to be asked what did you do during your time? So, we are making frantic efforts to solve the mistakes of the past and give our youths a sense of belonging and give them a very nice road map with which to control things of life.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
