Ike Ibe, a presidential aspirant from the Peoples Democratic Party’s Platform, has expressed disappointment with his party’s failure to hand over the presidential ticket to the South-East zone before the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms for the country’s top job begins.
Ibe, a former speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, suggested that the PDP begin the healing process by giving the presidency to the South-East zone, which he described as Nigeria’s most marginalized ethnic group.
Ibe, speaking at a press conference in Owerri, the state capital, on Tuesday, stated that one of the country’s greatest problems was that “irredentists” have long run the show.
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He claimed that if infrastructure and basic utilities were dispersed fairly across the country’s zones, instability would be reduced to a minimum.
“For several years, the popular belief has been that the next president should come from South Eastern Nigeria,” the presidential candidate remarked. For obvious reasons, this is the case. Many organizations have been working for the last three years or more to see that the Nigerian President of Igbo descent becomes a reality.
“It is common knowledge that Nd’Igbo are the only major ethnic group that has not produced a Nigerian President. This agitation is therefore ripe, timely and reasonable. Nigerian unity and cohesion have suffered tremendously because of this imbalance and the Igbo nation has been subjected to all manner of indignation, discrimination and marginalisation.
“Yet the Igbo nation has remained largely peaceful. For those of us in the PDP, it has been our expectations and belief and indeed understanding that our party will break this imbalance by unequivocally zoning its presidential candidacy to Igboland. But with recent undercurrents and schemings in our great party, one is at a loss as to what the party intends to do. The PDP has the opportunity of taking the steps to begin the real healing process of the past destruction of the fabric of Nigeria.
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“This it can do by making sure the party’s Presidential ticket is zoned exclusively to the Igbos. It will be historical. In the situation we all find ourselves today as a nation, the PDP will easily and clearly win the presidential election and majority of the governorship and legislative elections in 2023.
“Our country has never seen the level of hunger, dissatisfaction, desolation, leadership rigmarole, corruption, nepotism, insecurity, and lack of vision as we are seeing in the last seven years. The PDP has the unique opportunity of halting the national collapse and drift we are witnessing. But I am worried.”
He continued, “The recent announcement by the PDP NEC throwing open the purchase of presidential nomination forms to every section of the country is indeed very unsettling. It is even more intriguing that the party set up a zoning committee that is expected to submit its report well after aspirants from all parts of the country would have bought forms and submitted.
“This is just like placing the cart before the horse. I am curious about what the party wants to achieve or how this decision can ensure unity of the party and by extension the nation. It is unfortunate that our nation is bedevilled by gross disunity and leaders pander more to nepotism and that is why the level of leadership distrust is so high at the national level.
“The problem we have had with many leaders of Nigeria over the years is lack of national development vision. Nigeria has thrust onto the national stage so many irredentists who only think of their zones to the detriment of overall national development.
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“When I look at Nigeria, I see a nation made up of people who seek genuine development and unity. Granted that there has been so much imbalance in national development, my potential presidency will definitely ensure that areas unduly and unfairly disadvantaged in terms of infrastructure and social amenities would be brought at par with other areas in accordance to their circumstances.
“Historically, the Igbo man has this patriotic and nationalistic accommodating spirit more than any other group in Nigeria. My potential presidency will generally be a broad based presidency where no region will be oppressed or left behind the cutting edge development we will bring to our country to make her compete effectively with the rest of the civilised world. Our people deserve the best leaders and not the worst. With every hand on deck, we will get it right.”
“The South-East region of Nigeria has had a checkered political history as a people and seem to have for many years been perpetually consigned to a near permanent inglorious bench of presidential trauma.”
The ex-lawmaker said that he was running for president on the PDP platform to unite the country and for every zone to be treated, equally.
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