Ebonyi State's Governor Umahi disassociates himself from Southeast for President 2023 campaign

GOVERNOR David Umahi of Ebonyi State has dissociated himself from the inauguration of a campaign platform known as Southeast for President 2023 promoting him as a potential presidential candidate saying it is a distraction from the job at hand.

Under an informal political arrangement, Nigeria's presidency rotates between the north and south of the country and come 2023 when President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure ends, it will be the turn of the southern half of the country top produce a president. Each half of the country is made up of three geo-political zones, which in the south is made up of the southeast, south-south and southwest geo-political zones.

However, since the return to democracy in 1999, the southwest has produced President Olusegun Obasanjo. while the south-south has produced President Goodluck Jonathan. There is thus a growing movement for the presidency to be zoned to Igbos at the end of President Buhari's tenure, leading to the creation of this new group Southeast for President 2023.

However, describing the inauguration of the group which is promoting him as a presidential candidate, as a distraction, Governor Umahi said he is more committed to delivering quality and purposeful leadership to the people of Ebonyi State. According to his chief press secretary Emmanuel Uzor, the governor is not interested in any political gathering promoting him for president in 2023.

Mr Uzor said: “The governor was greatly embarrassed by the link to presidential ambition being circulated on various social media platforms and wishes to state that he will not be distracted by the various endorsements by groups and individuals who clamour for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction. Governor Umahi does not know the promoters of the platform and could not have contracted them to do the job but believes that any genuine and law abiding Nigerian reserves the right to go about their business as long as it doesn’t impinge on laid down rules of the country."

Governor Umahi added: “2023 is still very far ahead of us. I am the governor of Ebonyi State, so I will put all my energy and concentration to serve my people and deliver on my campaign promises.

"I am not looking at where I will be tomorrow. but will allow God to determine my next political fate. Let me say again, as a Nigerian and Igbo man and in my capacity as the chairman of the South East Governors Forum, I am not against the idea or agitation for a Nigeria president of Igbo extraction but linking me to it at this time is mostly embarrassing, distracting and premature and I beg to be left out of it."