By CHARLES IWUOHA

A socio-cultural Organization known as IGBO UNITY FORUM has urged politicians of South East extraction to come out and contest for the position of President of the country come 2023.

The group led by a former member of Federal House of Representatives, Chief U.S.A Igwesi, made the call recently at Abuja residence of the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, when they paid him solidarity visit.

The group expressed worries that South Easterners are not indicating interest to contest the plum job as is the case with their counterparts in the northern part of Nigeria.

It expressed regrets that this is happening at a time the zone is agitating that is their turn to produce the next President of Nigeria.

The group warned that the position cannot be served as on a platter but requires continued engagement, lobbying and constant inter-facing with other ethnic nationalities to achieve results.

It called on the Igbos home and abroad with convincing credentials and capacity to come on board stating that power cannot be taken from the fridge but from the oven.

The group observed that “Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is a cerebral politician with rich political antecedents and credentials having paid his dues in the political engineering and administration of this country when he was the Senate President, Chairman of the 4th National Assembly and Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria and demanded that he should give a taught to their request.”

Earlier in his speech; Senator Anyim thanked the group made up of seasoned politicians, technocrats and business moguls for their visit and solidarity during and after his recent interface with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He commended the leader of the delegation, Igwesi, describing him as a man of few words and one not known for frivolities.

Anyim reiterated his determination to serve the country in any capacity, stating that he has since given a taught to their request but now the group have energised it, that he will soon roll out drums in that direction.

He went further to state that the visit was not only timely but auspicious especially now that the country is in dire need of an upright and tested character to steer her ship and provide leadership in all sectors of our economy.

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), insisted that he is going to contest the position of the President of Nigeria come 2023 not because of the principle of zoning, even though he believes in it, but primarily because he is a Nigerian and qualified to contest, using every known parameter. He observed that the present-day Nigeria needed a president with experience, capacity and humane disposition to provide leadership and unite the country as one indivisible united entity.

Anyim expressed joy and hope in the quality of the members of the forum and urged them not to relent in their avowed determination to sensitize and enlighten the Igbos in this direction.

In his vote of thanks, another member for the delegation and a legal practitioner, Chief Ifeanyi Nwabueze, extolled the virtues of the Former Senate President, describing him as a child of destiny whose political antecedents have portrayed him as a tested and impeccable leader who can not only be trusted but a huge asset to the country.

Nwabueze went memory lane and insisted that Sen. Anyim raised the legislative bar during the 4th National Assembly.