Olusegun Bamgbose, a chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, has berated a former minister of works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, for saying that the Igbos stand no chance in producing the next President.
Ogunlewe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had during an interview with Arise TV, said that the Southeast can’t produce the President come 2023.
He said that Ahmed Bola.Tinubu, the National Leader of the ruling party, was the best candidate at the moment to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, whose tenure expires in 2023.
And Bamgbose, who is also eyeing the nation’s number seat come 2023, described the statement as provocative and unacceptable.
“2023 Presidency is open to any Southern candidates, Southeast can’t be ruled out in any way,” he told newsmen.
“They are entitled to contest and if they play their cards very well, they could be favored.
“One cannot just assume that because they are not united, then they should forget about having a President from Igbo extraction, that will be the wrong postulation.
“They can’t be shut out from Aso Rock forever, I am not in any way holding brief for them as I equally have presidential ambition, but I believe, the more the merrier.
“Let’s go to the field and play to know who carries the cup. It’s an act of marginalization to rule out Southeast from the 2023 presidential race.No citizen of the country has the right to do that.
“The former Minister hinted that lack of unity will hinder the Igbos from producing the next President of Nigeria, that statement is not true, as no region is not faced with such a challenge.
“In 1999, Falae contested against Obasanjo, in 2007, Buhari, Atiku contested against Yar’adua. In essence, there may not be a consensus candidate but that does not translate to a lack of unity, variety is the spice of life.
“As stakeholders, we should avoid any statement that is capable of overheating the polity and equally portraying that a particular region is not fit to be in the Presidential Villa as the first citizen of Nigeria.”
