Anyim Pius Anyim, a former president of the senate and
member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says although the south-east is
entitled to the presidential seat in 2023, it would have to persuade other
regions for support.
Anyim said this on Saturday while speaking at the national
convention of the United for Better Nigeria Initiative (UBNI) held in Abuja.
The former senate president encouraged the south-east to go
ahead with the campaign for presidency with an attitude of persuasion.
“Is it right for the south-east to produce the next
president? My answer is legally no, and the reason is that the constitution is
clear. The constitution says every Nigerian of 40 years is entitled to aspire
for that office,” he said.
“On the other side, morally, is it right? Is it an
entitlement? I will say yes because the federal character principle enshrined
in the constitution encourages rotation.
“The reason I have to make this clarification is that when
the right you have is not legal, the only approach and the instrument you have
is persuasion.
“So, the approach, the language will be to persuade others
to see reason with you that morally they should support you to take a turn
since it rotates.”
Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a former governor of Anambra, who also
spoke at the event, emphasised the need for a united Nigeria where everyone is
carried along without discrimination.
“So I found Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and other groups in this
place talking about the need for federal character. If you do it that way,
there will be unity. If there is fairness, equity, justice, you will have unity
and progress,” he said.
“In the absence of those, you see where we are now. It is
not a matter of giving us president. We don’t give; you have to work for it.
The Igbo does not prostrate.
“The Igbo man does not kneel down, but this time, we are
prepared to kneel down to every part of Nigeria, every group, every ethnic
group in Nigeria. We are prepared to even prostrate because we believe in this
country.”
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