•Insists power must shift to South

Factional Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, backed the G5 governors, led by Governor Nyesom Wike of River State, in their activities to save the country from imminent danger of the succession of President Muhammadu Buhari by another Northerner.

In a statement, in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the Secretary General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, further advised former Vice President, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to rather focus on 2027 presidential election, insisting that power should return to Southern part of the country.

He made it clear that voting for Atiku as Nigeria president will reinforce the disintegration of the country through separatists agitations in the South, and will fuel activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North, as well as the killer herdsmen.

He stressed that the gentleman’s agreement of rotational presidency between North and South should be maintained.

The statement reads: “Atiku should forfeit his presidential ambition to Southern presidency in 2023 due to poor planning, selfishness over patriotism, as well as mishandling of the party’s zoning formula, and focus on the 2027 elections.

“Wike and the G5 governors should move on with their historical activities to save the country from imminent danger of the succession of Buhari by another Northerner.

“Atiku’s presidency will reinforce disintegration of Nigeria through separatist agitations in the South, and will fuel activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North, as well as activities of killer herdsmen in sections of the country.

“Igbo leadership and elders of the South East are identifying with activities of the G5 governors for peace and unity of Nigeria.

“The governors have crafted their names in gold by thwarting plans to nullify the gentleman’s agreement of rotational presidency between North and South, which was the basis for peace and sustainable democracy in Nigeria since 1999.”

Ohanaeze commended the G5 governors for opposing Atiku’s presidential ambition in the 2023 general elections. (The Guardian)

•Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike led the governors of Benue, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ikpeazu (Abia)

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