Saturday, September 10, 2005

2007: S’East govs abandon agitation for Presidency 2007: S’East govs abandon agitation for Presidency TAJUDEEN SULEIMAN THERE are indications of confusion among the major stakeholders in the South-east over the clamour for the Igbo to produce the next president for the country in 2007. Findings by Sunday Punch showed that virtually all the five governors from the zone may have abandoned their agitation on the matter because of uncertainty surrounding the zoning policy of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The obvious lack of unity and an unwillingness of the main political gladiators to pursue their presidential ambition on the platform of any other party, have reportedly forced the governors to abandon their agitation for the presidency. Sources close to South-East Governors’ Forum told Sunday Punch that the governors might have given up hope that the zone would produce the next president for the country, and had decided to each pursue their individual ambitions. “I can tell you authoritatively that the governors have jettisoned their clamour for the presidency in 2007.There is no any meeting going on in that regard. There is no obvious intention on their part to insist on the South-east producing the next president,” a source said. He disclosed that the 2007 presidency no longer featured on the agenda of the governors’ forum, except for the purpose of “playing to the gallery”. The reasons advanced for the governors’ volte face on the issue include the zoning arrangement of their party, the PDP, which is likely to zone its presidential ticket to the North for 2007. “The governors are all PDP governors, and their party has zoned the 2007 presidency to the North. Even if they say they want to pull out of PDP, they have also reasoned that no other party is as popular as the PDP in the zone and other parts of the country. So, they have decided to go along with the PDP, even if it means sacrificing the 2007 presidency, “ another source explained. He said it was because of this “reason that some of the governors have decided to keep their presidential ambition to themselves, instead of seeking to “turn the tables” and heat up the polity. “Only Governor Oji Uzor Kalu of Abia State, perhaps, because of youthful exuberance, has insisted on carrying on with his presidential campaign, against the party arrangement. Most people here even think that he is actually positioning himself for a vice-presidential slot”, the source added The apex Igbo socio-culturally organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which had consistently insisted on the 2007 presidency, may have also taken a cue from the governors. The issue of the 2007 presidency is no longer on the agenda of its meetings, but now only an issue addressed when reporters ask questions after any of its meetings. During the last joint meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the governors forum summoned by the president of the senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, at Ebony State capital, Abakaliki in June 2005, the 2007 presidency did not feature in their deliberations. The President-General of Ohanaeze, Prof. Joe Irukwu, could not make any categorical statement on the 2007 presidency when reporters asked him, and had to be rescued by the host governor, Dr. Sam Egwu, who gave the press what they wanted to hear by saying, “We are still interested in the 2007 presidency and we insist that the next president should come from the Southeast.” However, the Igbo elite, some of who have expressed disappointment at the governors’ attitude to the aspiration of Ndigbo, has evolved an alternative platform called the Southeast Political Leaders Forum, to sustain the agitation. One of the founders and Second Republic Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke told Sunday Punch that his group was determined to realise the Igbo presidency project in 2007. “We know that the governors are not doing much because of the policy of their party, but I can assure you that we are determined to have the presidency in 2007.We’re going to start holding meetings very soon on the matter. In fact we are going to have meetings with the governors. I ‘m already discussing the issue with some of them who are my friends”, Chief Umezuike said. Other members of the forum, which cuts across party lines include: Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, Chief Chekwas Okorie and former minister, Chief John Nwodo. SUNDAY PUNCH, September 11, 2005 back to previous page Copyright 2005 Punch (Nigeria) Limited. All Rights Reserved  Powered by dnetsystems.net dnet® 10:05:17 PM    comment []