Elder statesman and leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has described the growing number of presidential aspirants from the southern part of the country as “madness and unrealistic”.

Clark, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while interacting with select journalists, said most of the aspirants from the South that have declared interest to contest for president in 2023 are playing double games.

Presidential aspirants from the South that have either declared interest or obtained forms were: Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, former Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Minister of State, Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu and Uju Kennedy, the only female aspirant have picked forms.

Others are: Pastor Tunde Bakare, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, Ihechukwu Dallas China, former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

He stated: “It is madness. If I’m to be realistic they are not serious; particularly the southerners from the South-west and the South-south. There are some people that have gone to be bottle bags to play double games. So when it comes to where we say no, some people would come out to say, yes, we are contesting. So they know why some of them are there.”

Clark wondered where aspirants from the ruling APC were getting N100 million to pay for the forms considering the level of hunger in the country.

“You have everybody in Nigeria where there is hunger, where there is lack of employment, where there is kidnapping going on every day, where children cannot go to school, where the economy is going down, these people were able to mobilise N100 million to pick form. .

“So, if these governors and ministers use their salaries, I don’t think they have it because they must eat in their houses, and so also the governors. But they went back telling Nigerians that their friends contributed money for them.”

The elder statesman wondered why Oshiomhole recently declared to contest for President when it was known to all that he was supporting Tinubu.

Clark said he was also surprised that Amosun also declared for president in spite of the fact that Osinbajo is from his state and he’s also in the race.

He added: “So you come back to the South-south, Nyesom Wike wants to be president of Nigeria, Rotimi Ameachi wants to be president of Nigeria, both of them are in small Ikwere. You can imagine what is going on.

“I understand Timipre Sylva would soon declare. Meanwhile, people are asking me questions about Goodluck Jonathan and they are in the same senatorial zone in Bayelsa State. So they know what they are doing.

“And for the Igbos, some of them, I encouraged them to come out. Even if it’s zoned to the South-east, the whole of Nigeria will vote for them, and will take part in the primary.”

On the issue of zoning, Clark stressed that they have warned southern politicians not to accept running mate positions if the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refuse to zone the presidency to the South.

His words: “We strongly warn our politicians, former governors, ministers, senators and so forth not to accept a running mate position from any northern candidate because they cannot do without us and we cannot do without them.

“That will show how serious we are and anybody who offers himself as a running mate will be regarded as the most unpatriotic and a man who has sold his own side of the country and is not worthy of being respected and honoured.”

(THISDAY)

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