The Secretary-General of apex Igbo socio-political organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Barr Uche Okwukwu, on Wednesday reacted to the comment by Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State on the 2023 presidency.
Speaking exclusively with DAILY POST, Okwukwu said El-Rufai’s position supports what Ohanaeze has been advocating for.
Recall that the Kaduna State governor had insisted that power should rotate to the Southern part of the country at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term.
El-Rufai had stated that the North has no basis to hold on to power at the end of Buhari’s tenure.
Reacting to the remark, the Ohanaeze Secretary-General stated that the Southeast and South-South should be allowed to produce the country’s next president.
According to Okwukwu: “El-Rufai’s position supports the stance I as Secretary-General and Ohanaeze progressives wing have always advocated.
“The progressive wing of Ohanaeze has been consistent that the North should be allowed to complete their eight years and that being done by 2023, power should shift to the South.
“And naturally, after eight years, power should shift to the Southeast and South-South that never did eight years.”
The Ohanaeze Secretary-General also faulted comment by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, that El-Rufai was looking out for his selfish interest.
AYCF President-General, Yerima Shettima had claimed that the governor was looking for the position of the Vice President in 2023, hence the comment.
However, Okwukwu dismissed Shettima’s comment, stressing that the governor’s position should be seen as sincere.
“You need some level of a mystic to know the mind of somebody, but let’s take the statement the way it is, we believe El-Rufai is sincere.
“Arewa youths are not mystics to know what’s in the mind of El-Rufai. His statement should be taken the way it is; which is progressive and objective. We believe that El-Rufai is sincere,” he added.
