The Chairman of the Diaspora Igbo group, the Igbo World Assembly (IWA), Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has disclosed that he is taking the liberty to create an exploratory team to seriously look into the viabilities of declaring his presidential ambition for 2023.
Anakwenze, who dropped the hint in his keynote speech during the just-concluded Nigerian Inter-Ethnic Nationalities Dialogue, Presidency of Igbo Extraction, 2023, held in Awka, Amambra State, told the audience that it would be unjustifiable and insensitive for the North to retain power in 2023.
He urged all patriots and men and women of goodwill in all parts of country to ensure that rotation and zoning of presidential power in 2023 by electing a president from the Southern part of Nigeria.
The IWA chairman, who has insisted in the restructuring of the country with optimism, said: “If I eventually run and potentially win, I will work hard to create jobs where there are no jobs, and every step of the way, I will work with industries to create internships that will help our young graduates currently roaming the street unemployed.
“I am a simple man that is driven by the desire to give the youths what we had growing up-a sense of self-worth and the belief that the sky is the limit when it comes to the ability to excel.”
Anakwenze, who assured the gathering that he would focus on youth capacity building and building of world-class economy for Nigeria and providing true security if elected president of Nigeria, told the gathering that all the regions of Nigeria have produced presidents, stating that it is now the turn of the South-east region to provide good leadership for the good of all Nigerians so as to move the country in a positive direction.
“Only rotation or zoning of presidential power can rebalance the country before the next general election so that universal adult suffrage can make sense,” he added.
The basis of any viable democracy, especially in a diverse and complex country such as Nigeria, according to him, rests in fair and even sharing of power.
“Our position is that since the Northern part of the country would have fully enjoyed the office of the president for the full statutory period of eight years by 2023, presidential power ought to be yielded to the South and South-east zone in particular in the spirit of unity and equity.
“It is the turn of the South-east zone to produce the next Nigerian president, and we are warning that nobody should hide under insecurity to deny the Southeast what rightfully belongs to it.
“We are of the firm belief that the main justification for rotation/zoning of presidential power is borne out of the skewed nature of the Nigerian fraudulent 1999 Constitution, where one side of the country, through the unjust manner states and local government creations have been made, is now positioned to produce the country’s president in perpetuity.”
The United States-based medical doctor said: “South-easterners had contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria in terms of infrastructure, intellect and business.
“It is time to give an Igbo person the chance to build Nigeria to the standard God wants. God created Nigeria to develop into a major power among nations and raise respect and dignity for all blacks on earth.
“One of the ways to achieve the feats the nation wanted is to carry everybody along without discrimination.
“Nigeria is huge enough for everybody, Nigeria has the capacity to hold everybody, Nigeria has the intellectuals, and all it takes to lift the country, all we are asking for is to give the Southeast zone a chance to lead and rise Nigeria, Africa in the world standing.”
