North, Igbo leaders strategise for 2015
EVEN before President Goodluck Jonathan’s four year term
is consummated, underground moves and counter-moves for
2015 have started. President Jonathan has the constitutional
right to go for two terms if the electorate so wished but the
2015 underground currents are flowing on the premise that
the President would do a term and quit given the
controversies that hallmarked his emergence as well as his
said promise to do four years and leave the stage.
But for the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the
President, who deputised for Yar’Adua would not have been
president now, at least not on the platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, which zoned the seat to the North. It
was on this score that a section of the North opposed
Jonathan’s election. In the thick of the electioneering, leading
presidential aspirants and candidates pledged to do a term if
elected, and the President spoke in like manner.
With President Jonathan expected to leave in 2015, the
South-East and North have kicked off moves to produce
Jonathan’s successor.
Benue indigenes root for Mark
It is on this score that some leaders of Benue South
Senatorial District and supporters of Senate President David
Mark, have begun campaigning for Mark ahead of 2015.
By then, Mark would have done eight years as Senate
President and would be one of the best qualified northerners
to mount the Aso Rock power saddle.
Disturbed by the campaigns, Mark has cautioned his
supporters and leaders of the Benue South Senatorial district
against campaigning for him in the 2015 presidency, warning
that it was morally wrong for anyone to embark on such a
campaign for him when he did not commission anyone to do
so.
Speaking in Otukpo at a special luncheon he organised at the
weekend to express his gratitude to the people of Benue
South District for electing him back to the Senate, Mark
asked Idoma leaders to support him to complete his second
term as Senate president, rather than expend energy on
presidential campaigns.
Igbo leaders strategise for 2015
Relatedly, Igbo leaders are not left. This is coming as former
Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG),
Professor Anya O Anya said the only way the South-East
could get power was by going for it and not waiting to be
handed power on a platter of gold or on the basis of zoning.
Indeed, despite getting the positions of Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, occupied by Senator Anyim
Pius Anyim and offices of the Deputy Senate President (Ike
Ekweremadu) and Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives (Ihedioha), Igbo leaders have not lost sight
on producing the next president after Jonathan.
So, they are are tasking Igbo appointees holding these
offices including the office of the South-East Governors’
Forum, under the chairmanship of Mr. Peter Obi and the
Ambassador Raph Uwechue-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well
as other political office holders in Igbo land, to position
Ndigbo for 2015 and beyond.
“With its current position in the present administration, the
south-east has something to cheer. But there is need to
intensify efforts to ensure that more equitable positions due
to the zone are secured in the allotment of ministerial
portfolios,” an Igbo leader said.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo in its statement of October 15 2010 urging
support for Jonathan was specific on the issue of the
presidency coming to the South-East after the South-South
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo firmly believes in the reality and absolute
equality of the six zones and holds the view that the topmost
executive office in the land – Prime Minister or President,
which has eluded the two geo-political zones of the South-
South and South-East since the birth of our nation half a
century ago, should now go to them in turn in unbroken
succession as a matter of national priority, before any other
zone can justly claim the right to a second or even third turn.
In line with this position, taken after wide consultation over
several months, among Igbo people at home and abroad,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo confidently urges the Igbo Nation to
support en masse a credible new-generation Presidential
candidate that has emerged from the South-South geo-
political zone, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan”.
Clearly, support for Jonathan was an end-product of the case
for a federal character rotation of the office of the President
among the six geo-political zones of our country.
Since Ohanaeze is a pan Igbo organization and is not
involved in the internal decisions or programmes of political
parties, South-East leaders are making plans to come to a
round table to brainstorm and strategise on how to utilise the
positions the zone occupies presently.
Today, the South-East has leaders in political offices that
were not imposed on them; rather they chose them directly
or indirectly. For example, Igbo leader were asked by
President Jonathan, to submit names of credible Igbo sons
and daughters that would be appointed as SGF.
is consummated, underground moves and counter-moves for
2015 have started. President Jonathan has the constitutional
right to go for two terms if the electorate so wished but the
2015 underground currents are flowing on the premise that
the President would do a term and quit given the
controversies that hallmarked his emergence as well as his
said promise to do four years and leave the stage.
But for the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the
President, who deputised for Yar’Adua would not have been
president now, at least not on the platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, which zoned the seat to the North. It
was on this score that a section of the North opposed
Jonathan’s election. In the thick of the electioneering, leading
presidential aspirants and candidates pledged to do a term if
elected, and the President spoke in like manner.
With President Jonathan expected to leave in 2015, the
South-East and North have kicked off moves to produce
Jonathan’s successor.
Benue indigenes root for Mark
It is on this score that some leaders of Benue South
Senatorial District and supporters of Senate President David
Mark, have begun campaigning for Mark ahead of 2015.
By then, Mark would have done eight years as Senate
President and would be one of the best qualified northerners
to mount the Aso Rock power saddle.
Disturbed by the campaigns, Mark has cautioned his
supporters and leaders of the Benue South Senatorial district
against campaigning for him in the 2015 presidency, warning
that it was morally wrong for anyone to embark on such a
campaign for him when he did not commission anyone to do
so.
Speaking in Otukpo at a special luncheon he organised at the
weekend to express his gratitude to the people of Benue
South District for electing him back to the Senate, Mark
asked Idoma leaders to support him to complete his second
term as Senate president, rather than expend energy on
presidential campaigns.
Igbo leaders strategise for 2015
Relatedly, Igbo leaders are not left. This is coming as former
Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG),
Professor Anya O Anya said the only way the South-East
could get power was by going for it and not waiting to be
handed power on a platter of gold or on the basis of zoning.
Indeed, despite getting the positions of Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, occupied by Senator Anyim
Pius Anyim and offices of the Deputy Senate President (Ike
Ekweremadu) and Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives (Ihedioha), Igbo leaders have not lost sight
on producing the next president after Jonathan.
So, they are are tasking Igbo appointees holding these
offices including the office of the South-East Governors’
Forum, under the chairmanship of Mr. Peter Obi and the
Ambassador Raph Uwechue-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well
as other political office holders in Igbo land, to position
Ndigbo for 2015 and beyond.
“With its current position in the present administration, the
south-east has something to cheer. But there is need to
intensify efforts to ensure that more equitable positions due
to the zone are secured in the allotment of ministerial
portfolios,” an Igbo leader said.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo in its statement of October 15 2010 urging
support for Jonathan was specific on the issue of the
presidency coming to the South-East after the South-South
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo firmly believes in the reality and absolute
equality of the six zones and holds the view that the topmost
executive office in the land – Prime Minister or President,
which has eluded the two geo-political zones of the South-
South and South-East since the birth of our nation half a
century ago, should now go to them in turn in unbroken
succession as a matter of national priority, before any other
zone can justly claim the right to a second or even third turn.
In line with this position, taken after wide consultation over
several months, among Igbo people at home and abroad,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo confidently urges the Igbo Nation to
support en masse a credible new-generation Presidential
candidate that has emerged from the South-South geo-
political zone, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan”.
Clearly, support for Jonathan was an end-product of the case
for a federal character rotation of the office of the President
among the six geo-political zones of our country.
Since Ohanaeze is a pan Igbo organization and is not
involved in the internal decisions or programmes of political
parties, South-East leaders are making plans to come to a
round table to brainstorm and strategise on how to utilise the
positions the zone occupies presently.
Today, the South-East has leaders in political offices that
were not imposed on them; rather they chose them directly
or indirectly. For example, Igbo leader were asked by
President Jonathan, to submit names of credible Igbo sons
and daughters that would be appointed as SGF.
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