Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, says anybody planning to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023 must possess the right qualities that can help move the country forward.
Addressing State House Correspondents soon after he met behind closed doors with President Buhari in Abuja on Thursday, the Governor said the right presidential candidate must have a pan-Nigerian mentality.
He said: “In first place, anybody who wants to aspire to the highest post of the presidency, it doesn’t matter where you come from, must have what I regard as pan-Nigerian mentality.
“He must be somebody who has an understanding of all the contending interests and influences in this country. He must understand that we are a country of diversity with different persuasions, tradition, culture, religions and all of these must be put at a place where you can understand and respect them.
“That individual must also be somebody who is ready to accommodate the youths of this country because turning it into a slogan the fact that youths are our leaders of the future have not served us correctly because we are drifting into an age that youths understand which many people may not understand, those who grew up before this era.
“So, the person must be willing to accommodate the youth without necessarily throwing away very experienced ones, he must be able to find a labyrinth of all the interests.”
Furthermore, Ikpeazu said anybody interested in leading Nigeria must have the interest of women at heart and be able to create jobs.
“He must also reflect an extreme women agenda. Such a person must also be investor-friendly, he must be an individual who understands the nuances of economics and what is the relationship between international politics and economy and the person must be strong enough to face up to the issue on the front burner, which is security.
“He must be able to create jobs, he must be a able to not deploy the kinetic device all the time, he must able to also listen and negotiate peace.
“I’m a Christian and my religion believes that you seek peace and you will find it. So, that which you seek is not commonplace. So, we must be able to dredge up courage to listen to one another and then find a middle course all the time for the interest of our people,” he added.
Role of Parties
Addressing the role of political parties in the emergence of the desired President, Ikpeazu stated: “What the political parties need to do. Well, the political parties need to be sensitive to the feelings of the various contending forces because politics should not be a winners take all thing.
“It’s not at all times that you want to use your might. At times you listen even to those whom you think are weak or those whom you think may not be able to find themselves at the centre stage due to circumstances.
“Because if you don’t do that, you will bottle up sentiments that will implode the system going forward. So, you must be able to create ventilations from here and there so that you can accommodate diverse opinions and have strategies to help you run the country.
“So, all the political parties should be alive to this sentiments and feelings in taking decisions going forward. And we are at a critical point in our history and anything that is self-serving, anything that is selfish, anything that is leads to winner take all mentality should be jettisoned at this time.
“We need to rescue our nation; we need to work hard to put Nigeria in a strong footing before we can begin to look at other things. So, if we have this at the back of our minds, my thinking is that we will arrive at the fact that there is a geo-political zone that has been clamoring and yearning for an opportunity to lead.
“And we should be gracious and magnanimous enough to give consideration to such yearnings and aspiration. But it cannot not be done in isolation. It’s not a matter right, it’s not a matter of ‘I have to.’ It’s a matter of negotiation, conversation and discussion going forward. And I think Nigeria is alive to all of that. We can find people who listen,” he stated.
Ikpeazu, who described Abia as the safest state in the country, said he met President Buhari to felicitate with him on the Yuletide season, thank him for projects in the southeast and as well to brief him on the Enyimba Economic City, which he said would provide jobs for 625,000 Nigerians.
Igbo Presidency
He used the occasion to appeal that south easterners should be considered for the 2023 presidency of Nigeria because they are more knowledgeable about the country than other areas.
The Governor affirmed that Igbos are pan-Nigerians who live and invest everywhere in the country.
However, he noted that the issue of Igbo presidency in 2023 cannot be a matter of right but something that should be achieved through negotiations and conversations.
While distancing himself from the 2023 presidential race, Governor Ikpeazu, maintained that political parties must consider the yearnings and aspirations of the south east in selecting their presidential candidates.
Nnenna.O
