Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, has said he believes that no part of the country can win the presidency without the help of other zones.
Mr. Anyim, one of the front-runners for the presidency in 2023, said that while the search for an Igbo president was not a “legal right for the South-East but an equitable one,” it must be pursued with “vigorous persuasion and consensus building with other regions”.
Anyim said this at an event organized by United For Better Nigeria Initiative in Abuja on Sunday with the theme “Imperative of Rotational Presidency.”
“The other angle to this perspective is whether zoning the presidency to the southeast geo-political zone is a legal right, the answer is no,” he continued, “but morally, such a demand has value.”
He went on to say, “The other facet to this perspective is if zoning the presidency to the southeast geopolitical zone has a legal right, the answer is no, but morally, such a demand has value.”
“This expectation canvases that the federal character principle has assumed a legal backing.
“Just like the rotation of the presidency is not captured in the Constitution, neither is the geo-political zoning arrangement,” he said.
Anyim also urged groups and individuals advocating for a power shift to the South-East to double their efforts by strategically engaging other Nigerians through advocacy and dialogue on the need for power to shift to the region, noting that in a democracy, power is not given freely but only after deliberate and strategic engagement for mass support.
“The journey of building an equitable society is usually a challenging and tough one but many nations have arrived safely and Nigeria must continue to deepen and consolidate the gains of democracy to meet the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians,” Anyim added.
