South East Democratic Civil Society Coalition says Igbos are consulting in consensus candidate

PAN-Igbo political pressure group the South East Democratic Civil Society Coalition (Sedsoc) has called for an end to the endorsement of the presidential ambitions of former senate president Senator Pius Anyim as Ndigbo need to consult on the matter first.

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.

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, so the next president should come from the southeast.

Bearing this in mind, several candidates of Igbo extraction have launched their 2023 presidential campaigns, among them Senator Anyim, the former senate president and secretary to the federal government. Senator Anyim has successfully attracted endorsements from some prominent southeast politicians, including former senate president, Adolphus Wabara and current senate minority leader Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

However, Sedsoc national convener Chief Willy Ezugwu, described these endorsements of Senator Anyim as hasty and self-serving. he demanded the instant withdrawal of the endorsement by Senator Abaribe, whom he described as one of their own.

Chief Ezugwu said: “The southeast of Nigeria has eminently qualified persons who are capable of transforming Nigeria if given a chance by the electorate to serve as president of Nigeria in 2023. To this end, we view the so-called endorsement of Anyim Pius Anyim as too hasty and self-serving by those who chose to jump the gun in what can only be interpreted as self-serving by those who attempted to stampede the southeast bloc into their own private agenda.

“What is shocking is how Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is our own, joined the bandwagon of certain selfish southeast politicians to engage in the controversial outing. Whatever transpired between Anyim and the named politicians is a nullity and does reflect the mood of southeast people.

“The South East Democratic Civil Society Coalition is vehemently opposed to the hasty endorsement of Anyim for president of Nigeria in 2023." Sedsoc added that leaders from across the southeastern part of Nigeria are in the process of consultations across political parties to pick the best who cannot only represent the interest of Ndigbo but has the capacity and broad mind to carry along all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion or political lineage.