Pioneer Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, has appealed to the people of the South East to support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, saying that his return to power would pave the way for an Igbo Presidency at the earliest possible time.

Briefing newsmen this afternoon at his Umule Ohuhu country home in Abia State, Ugochukwu maintained that in the event of Jonathan coming back and the North taking over power in 2019, it would be the turn of Ndigbo to occupy Aso Rock in 2027.

Conversely, he posited that if the table was turned against Jonathan and a new president emerges, Ndigbo would be dreaming of the Presidency by 2035.

Ugochukwu, who was the Abia PDP governorship candidate in 2007, said further: “As things are now, people have already conceded 2019 to the North. If Jonathan does four years, they have conceded power to North for the next eight years. But then, after that, we have to have power. It is a long wait all right but you know it could be worse.

“Supposing Buhari gets into power now, if he does two terms, by the time he completes it, he will be 81. Nobody is wishing him death or anything but look at the possibilities. If he doesn’t complete his tenure, of course, his Deputy will complete it and then will want to do his own two terms and so what could have happened in 2027 would become 2035. So, all things considered, our best is to have Jonathan go back, complete his tenure.”

Ugochukwu also maintained that ceding power to the North in 2019 was still an assumption, stressing that Ndigbo was yet to make a strong case for the Presidency.

“Then why people are saying the North will go, we should begin to make our own case as strongly as we can. We must make a strong case for it. We haven’t made a case for the Igbo Presidency. Nobody is going to give it to us as a free gift,” he said.

The veteran journalist-turned politician expressed optimism of a Jonathan victory come Saturday, pointing out that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has done elaborate campaigns.

According to him, “The PDP has worked hard in its campaigns and there is every indication that the President will triumph. So, I am encouraging all our party faithful to vote for the President in this election.

“I am encouraging our people, especially in Abia State and in the whole of the South East to vote for Jonathan and all other PDP candidates for the National Assembly,” he said.

Ugochukwu advised that Abia should repeat the feat of 2011 when all PDP candidates were victorious at the polls.

•Photo shows Onyema Ugochukwu.

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