By SUNNY OKIM

A powerful group of prominent leaders in the south of Nigeria, under the aegis of The Southern Eminent Leaders of Thought, otherwise known as Project Nigeria Movement, has purportedly penciled down five names they consider fit to be flagbearers of the Igbo-speaking southern part of the country in the race to 2023 presidency.

An inside source hinted News Express that the Professor Ben Nwabueze-led group of political heavyweights including former Commowealth Secretary- General, His Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku, believes it is just fair that the next president comes from Igboland.

The group is said to be planning a thorough screening of the five candidates after which one of them will be endorsed to be the eventual flag bearer.

It was not yet clear on which platform the eventual choice will contest, but there are pointers to the Ghali Umar Na'aba-led NCFront when it is eventually registered as a political party.

The source revealed that the screening will hold after the five considered candidates would have been formally contacted.

The movement, according to our source, is considering the following as presidential materials for 2023:

Peter Obi

Peter Gregory Obi, a politician and businessman, was the vice presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election under the Peoples Democratic Party.

He was the former governor of Anambra State serving from March 17, 2006 to November 2, 2006, when he was impeached and from February 9, 2007 to May 29, 2007 after his impeachment was overturned.

Although a fresh election was held on April 29, 2007, he was reappointed governor on June 14, 2007 after a court ruling that he should be allowed to complete a four-year term.

He won on February 6, 2010 election for a second term as governor.

Obi was born July 19, 1961.

Oby Ezekwesili

A chartered accountant by profession, Obiageli Ezekwesili hails from Anambra State. She served as Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and later as Federal Minister of Education during the second-term presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo.

Subsequently, she served as the Vice-President of the World Bank's Africa division from May 2007 to May 2012.

Ezekwesili was a 2018 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in transparency in the extractive sector.

She was born on April 28, 1963.

Pat Utomi

Patrick Okedinachi Utomi is a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and a former presidential candidate.

He is the founder of Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL) and the African Democratic Congress.

Utomi is a professor at Lagos Business School, and has served in senior positions in government, as an adviser to the President of Nigeria, the private sector, as Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen of Nigeria.

Born in Kaduna, Utomi is from Igbo speaking area of Delta State, precisely Igbuzo in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

He was born on February 6, 1956.

Kingsley Moghalu

Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu is a Nigerian political economist, lawyer, former United Nations official, and professor of International Business and public policy at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Kingsley is the founder of Sogato Strategies (LLC), and a senior adviser of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.

In 2016, Moghalu founded the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation.

He was the 2019 Young Progressive Party (YPP) presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential elections.

Moghalu hails from Enugu State; he was born in Lagos in 1963.

Olisa Agbakoba

Olisa Agbakoba is a human rights activist, maritime lawyer and former President of Nigerian Bar Association. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)

Aside from human rights, his work in maritime law in Nigeria has been profound. He is the founder and first president of the Nigerian Shipping Chamber of Commerce (NCS).

Born in Jos on May 29, 1953, Agbakoba hails from Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State.

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