Ohanaeze Insists On Slot As 17 Governors Demand 2023 South Presidency

In the sake of fairness and justice, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has encouraged the Southern Governors Forum to zone the 2023 presidency to the South-East

Alex Ogbonnia, a spokesman for the Ohanaeze, said the group supported the southern governors' position that the region should produce the president in 2023. He added that the region must be magnanimous in handing over the office to the South-East.

The governors met in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Monday to discuss the state of the country.

The governors declared their support for the rotating of the presidency on Monday, stating that the next president should be from the South.

Rotimi Akeredolu, the chairman of the Southern Governors' Forum and the governor of Ondo State, rose from the conference to read the communiqué signed by member states.

“The forum reaffirms its commitment to the unity of Nigeria on the pillars of equity, fairness, justice, progress, and peaceful coexistence between and amongst its people.

“The forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness and unanimously agreed that the Presidency of Nigeria be rotated between southern and northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the south,” he said

Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo spokesman, Ogbonnia, commended the governors for reaching a gentleman agreement over the rotation or alternation of the Presidency between the North and the South.

He also urges the southern governors to consider zoning the 2013 presidency to the south-east, as the Igbo's have also given their support to other southern presidents in the past.

He said;

“However, in commending the southern governors for that resolution, Ohanaeze is urging them to be magnanimous in conceding to South-East the Presidency. The South-West had a shot the South-South had a shot, and on each occasion, the Igbo gave them total support.

“So justice, equity, and fairness will demand that they concede the Presidency to the South-East. So in thanking them, we are going a step ahead to urge them to consider the South East to have a shot at the Presidency."

The meeting had in attendance the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Nyensom Wike (Rivers), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

Prof. Ben Ayade and Willie Obiano, governors of Cross River and Anambra states, respectively, were not present.