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2023: Lobby For Presidential Slot Thickens
Barely 19 months to Nigeria’s high-stakes 2023 presidential elections, intense lobbying and permutations have heightened among political actors on who or which geo-political zone should produce the next president.
In “A Message to Nigerians,’’ released in Abuja on Sunday, elder statesman, Dr Nnamdi Onochie, wrote that the political class should “toe the path of reason above other considerations in their search for the man or woman to take over from incumbent President Muhammed Buhari’’.
Nigeria is scheduled to go to the polls in 2023 for another round of general elections, since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
He said that political parties should embrace consensus, equity, justice and fair play and give due attention to the demands of “relegated geo-political zones or ethnic nationalities that have not been given opportunity to produce a president over the years’’.
Onochie, a chieftain of the PDP, argued that it had become compelling for a politician of southern Nigeria extraction, especially from the Igbo-speaking areas to produce the president in 2023.
The former diplomat said that allegations of marginalization by Igbo-speaking people would continue to ring loud and promote national instability and disunity, unless their persistent demands were addressed.
Re-echoing the request made by southern governors last month for the south to produce the next president, Onochie said that equity, fair play and justice should serve as yardsticks in choosing the president of a heterogeneous and federal system as practiced in Nigeria.
He argued that the principle of fairness had made it compelling that the top job should be zoned to a Nigerian of Igbo extraction, whether from the Igbo heartland or from the Igbo-speaking communities in other states in the federation.
“As a leading member of the PDP in Delta State and now a PDP 2023 presidential aspirant, I began the defence of the Igbo stand on the 2023 presidency at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
“I stood my ground that the 2019 presidential slot should be zoned to the North because it was their time. This makes it untenable for any politician from the North in the PDP to grandstand to run for the position in 2023.’’
The former diplomat said that he was delighted that PDP governors re-affirmed that position in their recent meeting on July 28 in Bauchi, recalling that the Yoruba, having also had a fair share of holding the top job should support the Igbo, to produce a presidential candidate in 2023.
Onochie also faulted arguments in some quarters that the 2023 presidency should go strictly to South East Igbos, pointing out that the position should be zoned to an Igbo-speaking person without dividing Igbo land as east or west.
“There are Igbos west and east of the River Niger and this cannot be disputed or denied,’’ he said, citing the heroic roles played by Asaba people in ensuring the survival of the Igbos, particularly the exploits of a renowned retired soldier, Col. Joe Achuzia and other indigenes of Igbo-speaking communities in Delta State during the Nigerian civil war.
“The imperfections of Nigeria today make it unacceptable, pitting millions of Igbos against each other and herding them into second-class citizens in Nigeria, where a new classification has Igbos as different from Ibos.
According to him, Chief Ralph Uwechie and Ochiaya Achuzia, a few years back served as president and secretary-general of the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, respectively with both hailing from Delta State “but in 2021 others who are Ibo from west of the Niger must now defer to the South East Igbo for the 2023 presidency.
“We are all Igbo and none is more Igbo than the other. Our resilience moving forward is to seek peace, cohesion and stability in Nigeria that must make this congenial transfer of political power in Nigeria realizable.
“Every Igbo person and indeed, all Nigerians, must seek a better Nigeria in which all citizens are equal and can prosper to be whatever they want to be.
“I am passionate that we can achieve this and I can provide that quintessential presidential leadership. We can accommodate every shade and creed of our diversity, to the glory of God,’’ said Onochie.
NAN
Featured
Nigeria’s Historic Bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games: A Call for National and Global Support
Joel Ajayi
Nigeria is poised to make history as it seeks to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a monumental opportunity that promises to transform the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and global standing.
More than a sporting spectacle, the Games would serve as a catalyst for development across multiple sectors, leaving behind a legacy of national pride and sustainable growth.
The benefits of hosting the Games extend far beyond the sports arena. Nigeria stands to gain both empirical and non-empirical advantages, with direct, indirect, and induced impacts that will touch every corner of society. Infrastructural development will take center stage, with new facilities such as indoor sports halls, conference centers, and improved road networks reshaping urban landscapes while strengthening the nation’s capacity to host future international events.
Economic growth is another significant dividend. Over 10,000 jobs are expected to be created, spanning construction, facility management, event planning, and tourism services.
The hospitality industry will undergo major improvements as hotels and resorts are upgraded to meet international standards, while local restaurants, lounges, and tourist attractions will see a surge in patronage from international visitors. Small and medium enterprises, particularly in the transport, finance, and food service sectors, will become some of the greatest beneficiaries, as the Games generate new demand and expand opportunities for local businesses.
The Commonwealth Games will also accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s sports industry.
Investments in training facilities, coaching, and talent development will inspire a new generation of athletes, ensuring long-term benefits that extend beyond 2030, a major focus of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
At the same time, the process of preparing for the Games will create opportunities for Nigerians to learn new crafts, acquire technical skills, and engage in global-standard event management, thereby strengthening human capacity and innovation across industries.
Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, and Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Director General, have been widely recognized for their tireless and visionary leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s sporting sector.
Their commitment to facilitating infrastructural development and strengthening grassroots sports development has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s bold bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Under their leadership, the NSC is fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovation in sports administration, they have demonstrated the nation’s readiness to stage an event of such global magnitude.
Beyond the tangible gains, the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games carries profound symbolic value. It would be a moment of unity and pride, a chance for Nigeria to showcase its cultural richness, resilience, and excellence to the world.
As a centenary edition, the Games would stand as a historic milestone not just for the Commonwealth but for Nigeria itself, cementing its place on the global stage as a capable, ambitious, and forward-looking nation.
The gains from hosting the Commonwealth Games can never be undermined or overemphasized. This is Nigeria’s time to step forward and show the world our resilience, and excellence. We call on every Nigerian, across sectors and communities, to support this noble aspiration.
Nigeria’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a vision for transformation, a blueprint for national development, and a legacy project that will inspire generations to come.
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