Seven presidential aspirants of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the South-east region of Nigeria have resolved to support any aspirant from the region who gets the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 general election.
The aspirants stated this during their meeting on Sunday at the Abuja home of Rochas Okorocha, one of the aspirants.
A former minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu chaired the meeting.
Mr Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State and senator, and former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba attended the meeting.
Others are former president of the Nigerian Senate, Ken Nnamani, and a female aspirant, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.
The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, is said to have attended the meeting via zoom.
The aspirants, in a communique, commended Nigerians who have given their support to the region’s aspiration to produce Nigeria’s president in 2023.
“That in furtherance of these commitments, all aspirants here commit to align with any of the South-east aspirants that is accepted by and chosen by other Nigerians to fly the APC flag,” the communique read in part.
The aspirants said the South-east appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC and its National Working Committee for their commitment to the unity of Nigeria and the inclusion of all the parts of the country in the “governance architecture.”
Background
There have been calls from South-east leaders that the region should be allowed to produce a president for the first time in 2023.
Some leaders of the region have argued that the emergence of a Nigerian president from the South-east would end the Biafra agitation and the insecurity in the region.
Both the ruling APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the two dominant political parties in Nigeria, have been under pressure to pick their presidential candidates from the South-east.
The APC is yet to take a formal decision on zoning its presidential ticket to the region, while the PDP has thrown its ticket open.
Similar meeting by PDP aspirants
Four PDP presidential aspirants, on April 9, resolved to work together to ensure that the South-east produces the party’s presidential candidate in 2023.
The aspirants included a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius, former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, renowned pharmacist and former chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Sam Ohuabunwa and United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze.
“We have agreed to work together as a team. We will work together to ensure that a South-easterner emerges as PDP flag bearer for the 2023 presidential election,” Mr Anyim said while reading the group’s resolution.
“We intend to consult with other zones on this issue and it is based on fairness and equity,” he added
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