By MICHAEL OVAT

The National Director of Media and Publicity, Nigeria Presidential Project (NPP), Mr. Tony Nwachukwu, has disclosed that about forty-six Nigerian Professors have volunteered to work unanimously for the actualization of a credible leader from the Igbo extraction that would succeed the incumbent, President Mohammadu Buhari, in the 2023 presidential election.

He said the professors cut across the six geopolitical zones from various disciplines, devoid of religion, ethnic and political affiliations. And that they have put in place all the necessary machineries to make it a reality.

Nwachukwu, who made the disclosure during the official inauguration of Anambra State Chapter of NPP in Awka, over the weekend, noted that the decision of the academics to push for an Igbo presidency in the next general election was to ensure sustainability of democratic governance in the country.

Speaking on the vision and mission of the group, he said “NPP- 2023, as a political advocacy group, we are demanding that all political parties for the election should zone their presidential candidate positions to the South East Geopolitical zone for the sake of justice, equity and sense of belonging.

“We have consulted four former Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babagida, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, the current security chiefs, ministers, religious and traditional leaders to seek for their unalloyed support for the Igbo presidency.”

Nwachukwu said the group is making so bold to assure Nigerians that the South East will provide formidable candidates for the 2023 general election that will continue to work for the peace and unity of the country.

“We are also calling on those men and women of South East extraction interested in contesting for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023 to commence consultations aimed at actualizing their ambition.”

The Chancellor, Nigeria Presidential Project, Dr. Walter Obiorah Oji, in his remarks, called on all the political parties to commence the necessary internal restructuring, before or during their next convention, in order to create the enabling disposition for zoning their National Chairman to any of the three geopolitical zones in Northern Nigeria to give way for the eastern region.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari and INEC for the free and fair elections witness in the just concluded Edo and Ondo elections and for the elimination of vote buying which was reportedly observed to have taken place during the elections, Oji, urged the President to also commence nurturing prospective candidates that may succeed him.

He also thanked the President for the reopening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, the completion and opening of the Onitsha Seaport, the ongoing work at the Second Niger Bridge, the ongoing work on Enugu-Onitsha road, Port Harcourt road and other road projects being undertaken by his administration in and around the South East Geopolitical zone.

He urged the newly inaugurated 11-man executive committee of the NPP-2023 not to waste any time in working to establish the body chapters in all the local government areas and wards in the state.

In his acceptance speech, the Anambra State Chairman of the group, Engineer Ifeanyi Ozigbo, assured that the executive, under his watch would do its best to spread the gospel to every nook and corner of the 21 local government areas and 326 wards in the state.

Other members of the state executive include, Mrs. N.E Igwenagu, Deputy Chairman, Col. Chuba Ikeagu, Secretary, Mrs. Magdalene Okigbo, Women leader and Hon. Anthony Okafor, Organising Secretary, among others. (Nigerian Tribune)

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