Former President, chief Olusegun Obasanjo recently tacitly threw his weight behind the emergence of the next Nigerian president in 2019 from the southeast region of the country.
This call by the former president has elicited heated reactions from politicians from the zone as TVC News political correspondent, Ayodele Ozugbakun got the views of some stakeholders.
Obasanjo who recently hosted the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ogun chapter, declared that his submission on Igbo presidency was his personal view, pointing out that the problem of injustice and marginalization have been a major source of conflict between ethnic and regional divisions in the country.
The Igbo conscience group, a civil society organisation reacting to the call urged the south east region of the country to ignore the call by Obasanjo.
Joe igbokwe a member of the group in Lagos said such statement was capable of causing political miscalculation on the part of the region that may lead to misunderstanding with other parts of the country.
Hon Emeka Idimogu , the only Igbo member from the Lagos House of Assembly said unless there is a consensus from the people from the northern and western part of the country for Igbo presidency in 2019, then the Igbo’s should wait for 2023 before presenting a candidate.
A frontline opposition member from Lagos state Deji Doharty also faulted Obasanjo’s call, describing it as politically incorrect.
The 2 most formidable political parties the APC and the PDP have before now indicated their willingness to field a candidate from the north to complete the 2 terms, while most politicians from the south east say the Igbo’s will wait till 2023 before presenting a candidate.
