Vitalis Ajumbe, a former commissioner of Information, Tourism and Public Utilities in Imo State, says Anambra indigenes are the hindrance to Igbo presidency.
Mr Ajumbe who stated this in an interview today in Abuja said the Southeast region is not politically ready to man the top office in the country.
There have been calls for the unconstitutional rotation of power to be channeled to the Igbo predominantly area in the next presidential election. While some are making the demand, citing justice, given the fact that the region has not produced a president since the return to democratic rule in 1999, others are saying it is their turn since the other two geo-political zones in the Southern part – Southwest and Southsouth – have taken a shot at the presidency.
Speaking on the matter, the former commissioner said the people of the area are not united politically, advising they should be clamouring for the slot of the vice president.
He accused Anambra State indigenes of being the major hindrance for the people in producing an Igbo president.
“They have the right to aspire for the presidency in 2023 but how prepared are they? How many of them can come out and say ‘I want to run’? How many of them have shown interest?” Ajumbe said.
“An Anambra will not want an Imo man to emerge as a president. Instead, they will spoil it. Anything good, if it doesn’t come from Anambra then it is scattered. They wouldn’t want someone from Abia. They may not support somebody from Ebonyi and they will not support somebody from Enugu.
“Who is the rallying point of the Igbos? Is it the Ohaneze? How many of them believe in Ohaneze? Who will call a meeting in Igboland and everybody will attend and say okay, this is what we want, let us present this candidate.? It will never happen in Igboland. So how else can we make it.?
“The only way I think we can make it is when an Igbo man is made the Vice President so that the Vice President will now be a rallying point. But it is something we must discuss and agree on the way it will go,” the former commissioner added.
Ajumbe also called for the scrapping of zoning because it has so far destroyed the nation.
“What we need in Nigeria today is good governance irrespective of where it comes from. Because as a person I believe in good governance. I don’t really cherish zoning because what destroyed Nigeria today is this zoning thing; when you say it must go to the South–East, it must go to North-West and it must go to North-Central.
“Why can’t we rally round and get somebody that can govern the country very well? If you look at the time of M.K O Abiola, a Muslim, Babagana Kingibe a Muslim, we didn’t mind that this was a Muslim – Muslim ticket and we voted massively for Abiola because we felt he would give us good governance.
“If we can still have that kind of spirit, irrespective of where the person comes from, even if the person is the younger brother of Buhari, provided he is going to give us good governance because zoning brings mediocracy.
“I don’t actually cherish that. It won’t give Nigeria what we need. Let us allow merit to play and that merit will play when we have good electoral system-that is the only way I know merit will play,” he added.