NewStats: 3,262,159 , 8,176,272 topics. Date: Sunday, 01 June 2025 at 03:39 AM 6g3q5m

The All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party have the key to the preservation of unity of Nigeria by observing the zoning convention, which midwifed the fourth Republic in 1999, a founding member of APC, Osita Okechukwu, has said.

He also commended the PDP for the timely clarification of its stand on zoning the 2023 Presidency.

According to him, the South-East should produce the President in 2023 to, among other things, ensure equity, natural justice and good conscience and “end of the civil war” activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

Okechukwu stated these on Sunday in an interview with journalists in Abuja on the clarification made by PDP on its position on zoning.

He also said that ing a President from South East would be APC and by extension, President Muhammadu Buhari’s greatest legacy to the socio-political stability and development of Nigeria.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had renounced the statement made by a former governor of Niger State, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu and Chief Femi Fani-Kayode at different fora, that PDP has zoned the party’s presidential ticket to the North, preferably in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Ologunagba had stated, “The attention of the PDP has been drawn to comments and speculations from certain individuals claiming that our party has zoned its presidential ticket to a particular part of the country.

“This is completely misleading as it does not in any way represent the position of our party. For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP emphatically and unequivocally states that it has not zoned its presidential ticket to any part of the country.”

Welcoming the PDP’s clariy as very interesting and refreshing, Okechukwu, who is also the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, sais that “the two dominant political parties in our multiparty system, APC and PDP, hold the key to restoration of Nigeria’s unity by observing the zoning convention.”

He said, “It was that same zoning convention that midwifed our 4th Republic and we are waiting for the two to save our fledgling democracy.”

He explained that his adamant campaign for zoning was that political power has always rotated between the North and South.

“My major concern is the peace, unity and prosperity of our dear fatherland”, he said.

Okechukwu said that in political activities, the law, with its legal teeth, combines with convention and its moral weight, stressing that both played prominent roles in the political economies of all countries at one point or the other.

The VON DG said, “It was based on this premise, for instance, that patriots like former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, Alhajis Abubakar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma, Dr. Olusola Saraki, all of blessed memory, and a host of others shelved their self interest and adopted the zoning convention, thereby saving our country.

“We need the same zoning convention to further stabilixe Nigeria.”

Speaking on whether APC would heed his onition, Okechukwu said, “Mine is to walk the path of persuasion, I know our great party, APC is not aversed to zoning. In fact, zoning was one of the factors that built national resolve and enhanced our victory in 2015.

“I have lived for 33 years in the North, I know Nigeria sufficiently well that every geopolitical zone has eminently qualified persons to preside over the country; therefore, none should be denied the opportunity. I also know that it is not the region, which produced the President that benefits more, so it is a soothing balm in nation building.”

Responding to the seeming confusion over which micro-zone in the South should get the Presidency, Okechukwu said, “Without being immodest, it is the turn of the South East; our brothers in South West had eight years 1999-2007 and eight years of Vice President 2015-2023, while our South South brothers had 2010-2015.

“Thus, going by equity, natural justice and good conscience it is the turn of the South East.

“Zoning to South East will be the end of the civil war and end of IPOB. It will give Ndigbo renewed faith in Nigeria, sense of belonging and national loyalty. To a large extent, allowing a person from South East to succeed President Buhari would be APC and Mr. President’s greatest legacy.”

Okechukwu said his position was without prejudice to the demographic considerations by PDP or the prodigious roles people like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu played in President Buhari’s election.


“Without self-immolation, Ndigbo are not only foremost patriots that live and invest in all nooks and crannies of this country; but also it borders on misinformation or misrepresentation to underrate Igbo population in Nigeria.

“For instance, taking Lagos city as the most populous city and Kano as the most populous state in the country, you will agree with me that Igbo constitute the second dominant inhabitants after the original indigenes in both Lagos metropolis and Kano State.”

https://punchng.com/2023-ing-igbo-presidencyll-be-apc-buharis-greatest-legacy-osita-okechukwu

It doesn't work that way

What did Igbos give APC

GreatTormentor:
What did Igbos give APC

they want to reap where they didn't sow in APC satanic amala party

The greatest mistake a political party will make is to try appeasing a base that is the stronghold of it opponent

Akpu munching gorillas no dey ceaze to amaze with their stupidity, flat head structures are truly foolish

ManMountain:
The greatest mistake a political party will make is to try appeasing a base that is the stronghold of it opponent

they want APC to loose the Centre in order to please them

Osita is a shameful man, IPOB should write a letter to PDP for presidency

Osita is mad. Presidency is not given on a platter of gold. Igbos must fight for it and earn it. Buhari is a known failure whom nobody should associate with

GreatTormentor:
What did Igbos give APC

Zero

GreatTormentor:
What did Igbos give APC

Maybe you are not in this country in 2015

I think pe APC is a satanic/Islamic/anti-Igbo/anti-Christ party.

Want to become president come 2023? Work for it. Case closed.!!

Scam!

Everybody sha wan chop

Buhari would rather commit suicide than commit to this. The man sef hate yoruba people but he can manage them compared to igbos. lol

K

IGBO CAN NEVER BE PRESIDENT IN THIS COUNTY

LEEMAO!!

Igbo presidency is beyond APC and buhari's

This guy is dreaming

Anybody except the drug baron from Iragbiji is fine by me

Peter Obi or Osinbajo can't be that bad

milliondollas:
IGBO CAN NEVER BE PRESIDENT IN THIS COUNTY

a black man could never be president in America until Obama did. if you so hate them and dont want them to be presidents, please let them go.

Any party that presents an Igbo candidate is already pre-doomed prior to 2023.

Cos I myself will win an election agains any Igbo man if it were just to be two of us only. I will not need to campaign as North and West will have no other option than to vote for me.

Best, it should go to the South-South, or Cameroonian or Kenyan become Nigerias president

Wanity:


Maybe you are not in this country in 2015

answer the question sir. What did the igbos give APC as a party. You all know pdp is dead and buried, that’s why your people wan die for buhari neck.

So that one hausa pdp candidate can rape apc on all hole in aso rock

It will never happen. These people don't know Buhari.

achymmania:
answer the question sir.

Almost the whole country were in of change in 2015

they maybe the saving grace,to move the country forward

This is so shameful. Igbos should really be ashamed going by what they have said about APC and Nigeria as a country.