A political pressure group, United North Central Progressive Forum, has thrown its weight behind the call for the presidency to be zoned to the South-east geo-political zone of Nigeria in 2023.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, national coordinator of the group, Comrade Ocholi Philip Onoja, said in the spirit of justice and fairness, the region deserves to be given the chance.
Onoja said the need for Igbo presidency was in consonance with federal character principle as entrenched in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The group also appealed to former governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Anayo Okorocha, to make himself available to contest the presidency come 2023.
The coordinator said putting into perspective the transformative programs of Okorocha during his days as the governor and as a senator, he is ably qualified to provide quality leadership for the country if given the opportunity.
Onoja stressed that Okorocha will also help to salvage Nigeria from its present security challenges, and provide an enabling environment that will attract investors into the country.
“Today, Imo state, since creation is witnessing, for the first time, massive Infrastructural development that has not been witnessed before and we know that Nigeria will be massively transformed if he emerges as the President come 2015.
“With the political calculations, Okorocha stands shoulder high among other equally qualified Igbo aspirants with important reference to the concern for merit and competence as the key issues in the race,”
“It is on records that Senator Rochas Okorocha is the first Igbo man as a sitting governor that brought APC to the South- East. A significant landmark achievement of his administration as the governor of Imo state was the payment of #20,000 minimum wage when other states of the federation were battling to pay N18,000”.
He stressed that Owelle Rochas Okorocha by all standards is a distinguished personality who has a national spread.
“Owelle lived most part of his life in the northern and mixed so well with the major ethnic groups in the country till date, Owelle Rochas Okorocha confirmed has the charisma and intellectual depth to make a good president”.