An Ibo man, resident in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, has threatened to vote against the All Progressives Congress, APC, if the party does not give its presidential ticket to a South Easterner.
He disclosed that he was very concerned with where the presidential ticket of the APC would go to as he was sure the party would win the 2023 presidential election.
Ogbonna stressed that if the APC eventually gives the presidential ticket to someone outside the South East, he would give a protest vote to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in spite of his conviction that the chances of the party winning in 2023 was very slim.
Speaking with Newsportal, Ogbonna, who is a Chartered Accountant said that it would be fair, just and equitable for the next president of the country to emerge from the South East geo-political zone, adding that the issue of equity in Nigeria should not be taken for granted.
According to him:
“It is very sad that some politicians in the South West and South South are lobbying to become the president of this country in 2023. Considering the fact that the South East is the only geo-political zone in Southern Nigeria that is yet to produce a president since 1999 when this new democracy that we are enjoying was ushered in, the only rational thing is for Nigerians to give them a chance.
“I have to state that we got the narratives wrong when we began to clamour for a president of Ibo extraction. That is exactly what wants to give a different colouration to the demand of South Easterners. I say this because it will be illogical to describe someone from the Ibo speaking part of either Delta or Rivers State as non-Ibo.
“In the context of discussing the right place for the next president of Nigeria to come from, we should be looking at the fact that political positions are known to be shared among geo-political zones and not tribes. So, there is no need to bring in confusion in the whole matter.”
He said the time has come for the genuine elders and statesmen of Nigeria to come together quickly to address this thorny issue of power rotation in the country.
He also said:
“Our president, Muhammadu Buhari would be leaving an enduring legacy if he supports a South Easterner to emerge as the presidential candidate of his political party, and also work with such a candidate to win the election. The man (Buhari) for these years have not impressed people of the South East and this is very obvious. So, it is important for him to let them know that he does not harbour any animosity against the South Easterners as a people by supporting their son or daughter to replace him as president.
