2023 Presidential Bid: Ex-Anambra Commissioner, Okoli-Akilika Urges Ndigbo To Also Make Plans For Vice Presidency

The Southeast region, as they jostle for presidency as the 2023 General elections approach, must not lose sight of the need to remain in the corridors of power in Nigeria’s mainstream politics.

This will ensure peradventure they lose the 2023 bid, that they are not displaced totally from clinching the position in the nearest future.

An Awka-based lawyer and Public Affairs commentator, Chief John Okoli-Akilika made the suggestion in a chat with TNC correspondent in Awka, on the quest for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction come 2023.

Okoli-Akilika noted that looking realistically at the way the country is structured presently, unless other regions agree to support Igbo presidency in the spirit of fairness and equity, the Southeast may not be able to muster the required political strength to win the election.

“The time has come when Nigerians must rally and elect a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.

“However, we all know that with the way Nigeria is organized, the Southeast is marginalized and may not be able to muscle up the required political strength to prosecute the presidential bid.

“Therefore Igbos must also work to maintain a place in the corridors of power to be positioned to clinch the presidency, in case they fail in 2023.

“The surest indirect means to achieve that in the nearest time, is the Vice Presidential position.

“This must however come with the agreement that after a four-year term, the Igbo man who is the Vice President, will have the platform to contest for the Presidential seat,” he suggested.

He said in view of the provisions of Section 14, subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution, the major Political parties should zone their presidential slots to the Southeast, but when that is not feasible, Igbos must work to clinch the Vice Presidential slots of the parties.

On the plethora of Igbo presidential aspirants, the legal practitioner said the development goes to show that the region is blessed with abundant human resources capable of steering the affairs of the country effectively.

“To me, there is no challenge with the multiple aspirants the region is yielding in the 2023 Presidential bid.

“I believe it is because the Southeast is blessed abundantly in terms of human capital and we can see through the various persons that have thrown their hats in the ring, led by former Anambra Governor, Mr Peter Obi, that they are qualified to lead this nation.

“It also goes to show how republican and independent people of the region are and that I believe, is very good for the nation’s democracy,” Okoli-Akilika opined.

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