2023: Ndi-Igbo Begins Search For Presidential Candidate

• About 18 prominent Igbo politicians and technocrats have been listed who may fit into the position, while more names are expected to come up as the campaign continues.
• Some of the names that have cropped up include Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Martin Onovo, Kingsley Moughalu, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, Prof Pat Utomi,Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Prof Charles Soludo, Nyesom Wike, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim; Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, and Dr. Peter Obi. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe,  Rochas Okorocha and Achike Udenwa, Senator Hope Uzodinma. Ogbonnaya Onu.

   

As political strategizing by regional groupings revs up ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Eastern Union (EU), a socio-political pressure group catering for the interest of the old Eastern region, has commenced consultations with the intention of selecting a suitable presidential candidate of Igbo extraction.

The people of the South East have been agitating that it is the turn of the zone to produce the nation’s number one citizen in 2023.

They argue that with the South West, South-South, and the North have had their turn at the seat of power, it should – for the sake of equity and fairness – be the turn of Ndigbo to produce the next president.

The Eastern Union has set the ball rolling, for the purpose of actualizing the yearnings of the South East, by seeking public opinions, especially from Ndigbo, regarding their choices among the political and business elites from the region.

Also, the group has commenced the campaign for the selection and marketing of an Igbo presidential candidate through social media, which is already generating a lot of interests among the general public.

It was gathered that, so far, about 18 prominent Igbo politicians and technocrats have been listed who may fit into the position, while more names are expected to come up as the campaign continues.

Some of the names that have cropped up include Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a long-term member of the Senate, who has served two terms as deputy Senate president, and Martin Onovo, who flew the flag of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in the 2015 presidential election.

Others are Kingsley Moughalu, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) deputy governor, and Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, both being presidential candidates in the 2019 election, as well as Prof Pat Utomi, a 2019 governorship candidate in Delta State.

Also included are former Finance Minister and World Bank deputy managing director, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; former CBN governor and member of the Economic Advisory Committee, Prof Charles Soludo; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

Also in the list, according to an EU top source, are former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim; Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, and Dr. Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor and vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senate minority leader, and former Governors Rochas Okorocha and Achike Udenwa, both former chief helmsmen in Imo State, made the list.

There are also the names of a seasoned politician, Senator Hope Uzodinma; former governor, Ogbonnaya Onu, who has been in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet as Minister of Science and Technology since 2015.

Similarly tipped is Dr. Chris Ngige, former governor of Anambra State, a former senator, who has also been in Buhari’s cabinet as Minister of Labour and Productivity.

When contacted, Hon. Charles Anike, the Eastern Union National President, confirmed to Daily Independent that his organization which, he said, had branches in all the states of the federation and Abuja, started the move following the seeming lack of activities among Igbo political leaders in respect of the 2023 presidency.

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He said: “We at the Eastern Union have started our consultations and trying to extend our search and consultations to other Igbos outside the South East.

“We have created some platforms, both on social media and more, to enable us to reach out and open up opportunities.

“Even if the people of the South East and Ndigbo have a genuine case of their agitation, a lot still needs to be done. They must be ready to form alliances and compromises across the country. Many other tribes and zones will also give one reason or another why they should clinch the number one seat.

“A lot of collaborations, alliances, and compromises are necessary for any group or zone that must produce the president come 2023. That is why the Eastern Union decided to extend the search and opportunity to other Igbos in
the South-South and that is one of our strategies.”

Anike, however, noted that the 2023 presidency was open for grabs by any geopolitical zone, even as he maintained that to the best of his knowledge, the leaders of the southeast had not adequately been preparing towards it.

This, according to him, could be traced to the fact that most Igbo still believe that Abubakar Atiku/Peter Obi’s presidency may be restored by the Supreme Court.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with anybody or group getting themselves prepared for any eventuality.

“By now, one would have expected Ndigbo to be reaching an agreement for a consensus candidate. Ndigbo has vehemently refused to review their political strategies, which have hitherto not favored them in the Nigeria political chess game.

“That same wrong idea of coming late and still wanting to be at the forefront is still their way and undoing,” he said.

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