The Igbo World Union (IWU), a pan Igbo socio-cultural group has declared that the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari, in the just concluded general election has brought the emergence of president of Igbo extraction closer to South East.

In a congratulatory message made available to Daily Sun, the President General of IWU, Mishak Nnanta, commended Igbo town unions in Nigeria and the diaspora, for yielding to his call to support President Buhari’s re-election project.

He said the result of the efforts was president Buhari’s inroad into South East heartland, where the votes he garnered ensured that the president met the 25 percentbenchmark across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

While appealing to senators and members of the House of Representatives elect to work together for the interest of the South East, Nnanta said bickering and unhealthy rivalry would only harm the region. He urged them to work together for the purpose of industrialising the region.

On why he is confident that president Buhari would keep his word, Nnanta said the president is an honest man, who rewards loyalty with trust. He said Buhari, having assured IWU, during their last visit where he was honoured with a chieftaincy title, that he will work for the emergence of president of Igbo extraction in 2023.

While also appealing to Mr President to reach across to the opposition with olive branch, Nnanta urged Nigerians to see the victory as victory for the country’s 20 years of unbroken democracy.

“My appeal to Nigerians, regardless of their political divide, is to come on board and contribute their own quota towards the development of the country.”

While reminding the president-elect about the Second Niger Bridge and other ongoing projects in the South East, Sir Nnanta said if completed during his tenure, president Buhari would have proved doubting Thomases wrong.

In the same vein, Nnanta urged president Buhari to ensure that the South East people are considered when appointments would be made, so as to further bolster his popularity in the region.

•Excerpted from a Daily Sun report