APC Chieftain Insists On Igbo Presidency, Slams Amaechi

APC Chieftain Insists On Igbo Presidency, Slams Amaechi

The Senatorial candidate of the Accord Party (AP)for Abia North District in the just-concluded 2019 general election and now, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Onyekachi Iheme, has slammed the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over his comment on the quest for the Igbo extraction to produce next Nigeria president in 2023.

a news agency had reported that Amaechi had declared that Igbo have no chance of taking over from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

Amaechi said this was simply because the South East geo-political zone voted against Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

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Iheme, while reacting to the minister’s statement, in an interview with newsmen, Tuesday, explained that South East, an integral part of the country got 25 percent votes for the President during the election, wondering why the federal government had continued to marginalize Igbos despite the performances of the APC in the South East.

According to him, “It is not true to say, that Ndigbo did not vote or support APC. Because, if you look at the performances of the party in the last 2019 election, you can bear me witness that President Buhari, like never before, polled the required 25 percent votes needed in all the five eastern states put together. And he got more votes in Abia and the Imo States.

“The Ndigbo, like every other tribe in this country who believed in constitutional democracy and who are also members of the governing party (APC), are entitled and have every rights to be considered for the Presidency of this country come 2023. From all indications, Igbo man can no longer stand out. We are an integral part of Nigeria. We are integral stakeholders in APC. We have asked for the position of Deputy Senate President. We have asked for the speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.

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“So, on what ground, the former River Governor standing on, to say Ndigbo have no chances of producing President in 2023 presidential election. I think, Amaechi is speaking for himself and it is, unfortunately. APC is a party that respects the agreement. The primary reason we rally-rounded President, Buhari, was because we know that equity and justice have been the bedrock of the zoning arrangement that the APC had relying on.

“Buhari is completing his eight years in office by 2023, and naturally, it is expected that the presidential seat of Nigeria should be rotated, go the Southeast. Because the Vice President is from South West. And the South West had also produced the leader of the party. The South-South had equally produced the national chairman of APC. There is nothing else for the Igbo man, other than to be allowed and to be zoned the Presidential ticket to Igbo man in 2023.”