Okechukwu says Buhari is secretly supporting the idea of an Igbo president come 2023

VOICE of Nigeria (Von) director-general Osita Okechukwu has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari and several other leading members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are secretly supporting the idea of an Igbo president in 2023.

Although not constitutional, Nigeria's component parts have a gentleman's agreement that the presidency will rotate between the north and the south of the country. President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure will end in 2023 and being a Fulani northern Muslim, it is expected that the next president will come from southern Nigeria.

Since the return to democracy in 1999, the southwest has produced President Olusegun Obasanjo and the south-south President Goodluck Jonathan, so come 2023, the presidency should automatically go to the southeast. However, so far, there has been no formidable candidate from the southeast and talk about it producing the next president has been half-hearted.

Pointing out that this will soon change, however, Mr Okechukwu said that President Buhari and some other Nigerians are silently in support of a president of Igbo extraction come 2023. He also appealed to President Buhari to honour a pledge made to elder statesman Chief Mbazulike Amechi over the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu.

Pointing out that this would help, Mr Okechukwu appealed to Ipob to support the idea of a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction come 2023. He explained that the first step would be the release of Mr Kanu, the second the return of economic activities to the southeast geo-political zone and thirdly, Ipob backing a president of Igbo extraction come 2023, which will popularise the project.

Mr Okechukwu said: "All I am saying is that Mr President and host of other Nigerians are silently in support of Nigeria president of the Igbo extraction 2023 project but are weary and reticent of Ipob's stance. Therefore, in my little opinion, Ipob support of our project will kill two birds with one stone.

"My understanding of Ipob agitation is to end Igbo marginalization, so if that’s the case then our 2023 Nigeria president of Igbo extraction will be the end of the civil war. Nigerians are waiting for Ipob to change gear.”