2023: Southern presidency is unconstitutional, but ‘mutual understanding’ – Okorocha

The former governor of Imo State, Rochas Anayo Okorocha said the agitation for Southern Presidency in 2023, though unconstitutional, it was based on ‘mutual understanding’, saying contemplation on taking it away is politically insensitive.

Okorocha who currently represents Imo West Senatorial district maintained that there’s no justification for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to deny Southern Nigeria presidency in 2023.

The lawmaker stated this at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Council while marking his 59th birthday celebration in Abuja.

According to him, there have been culture of rotation, though, unwritten but practised by the governing party, stressing that whoever feigned ignorance of this and pushes any contrary logic to deny the South didn’t mean well for the nation.

He stressed: “Power went first to the South. There you had President Olusegun Obasanjo; then it came back to the North, we had Late President, Umaru Yar’Adua and back to the South, President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Then it came back to the North, the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari. I think it is just fair, in what is called understanding, it is not a right but for equity and justice, that this understanding is not broken, it should go back to the South.

Reacting to reports credited to the incumbent governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma who said Southeast didn’t need presidency in 2023, Okorocha said: “Which governor? I don’t think you heard him right because in the normal sense he can’t say that. He can’t said that. Something is wrong, I think something is wrong. I don’t think he said that. That Igbo will not need the presidency?”

He argued that competence should define leadership rather than tribe or region, saying Yoruba has ruled as well as Hausa and South South, hence, it would be ideal for a competent Igbo man from the Southeast to rule.

According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari’s government isn’t supported by members of the ruling party as it ought to be.

“If you want to say that our party the APC has not given sufficient support to the administration, I will also say you are right.

“If you say, there is big communication gap, between the government and the people, I will say you are right.

Okorocha said he did advise President Buhari to address Nigerians freely on national issues as written addresses which was his culture wouldn’t help matters.

He further maintained that the people of the Southeastern Nigeria only need a level playing field to demonstrate their ability in the Nigerian state.

He argued that the party has made promises at the campaign and was still working to achieve that but added that poor communication of the president created room for misunderstanding of his administration

“If APC had done well, you cannot generalize, we talked about power, agriculture, security, now, what you call work in progress you cannot take.
On whether he will run for presidency come 2023, he said,

“I don’t have ambition to be president, I have vision to be President of Nigeria, that is why it is driving me crazy because I see the possibility of a new Nigeria.