The heat for the next presidential elections is already gathering momentum has numerous politicians and aspiring candidates are subtly directly and indirectly making their political ambitions known.
The problem however is the fact that the usual political slating and betrayal has also started alongside these subtle campaigns as rallies and programmes are being organised as a way of creating awareness for the intentions of these scheming political juggernauts.
While all these politicking is going on in preparations for the forth coming elections especially the seat of the presidency, slated for 2023, many prominent personalities and important figures are already lending their voices and thoughts with regard to their understanding of how the whole scenerio would probably pan out.
Just recently, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the general Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church in Lagos, has said the South-East does not have the numbers yet, to produce a Nigeria President of Igbo extraction.
The elder’s statesman made this submission on the night of Tuesday February 2 2021, during an Instagram Live session with media mogul, Dele Momodu.
The outspoken cleric, insisted that indeed our eastern brothers from Igbo land would need a ‘handshake’ between the North and South, because of the way the country is structured.
“The Igbos are my brothers and sisters, God bless them, I love them and I care about them. They should also come to mainstream politics because APGA as a party cannot win a presidential election in Nigeria.
“Yes, every citizen of this country can aspire to that position regardless of ethnic personality and I will be too glad to see an Igbo president. But let us always remember that democracy is a ruthless game of numbers and if you don’t have the numbers you cannot continue to shout marginalisation.
“You should join mainstream politics and find a way of reaching out to others to form some kind of alliance or merger that will produce a victory at the poll,” Bakare said.
The above opinion of Pastor Tunde Bakare to a reasonable extent is absolutely backed up by some prominent figures from the east who are strongly of the opinion that they have been obviously l sidelined from the political spheres especially the seat of the presidency save for the position of senate president which they have been appointed to on few occasions. There is also the view amongst many, the reasons why the position of the presidency has eluded our compatriots from the Igbo speaking region of the country. In the opinion of most Nigerians including majority of persons from the east is the fact that perhaps the Igbos have been strongly pushing for a country of their own as such, they have made their intentions known on several occasions in the past of their ambitions to separate from Nigeria, in other to form their own republic of Biafra.
While the above opinion is a very sensitive issue, it does not also justify the marginalisation in the opinion of many on the Igbo speaking region of the federation.
Hopefully they would begin to get their acts together and seek political advice from those who have in the past, been at the helm of affairs so as to come to a greater understanding and be abreast with the underground political gimmicks that goes on, especially with regards to the seat of the president.
Gift Joseph Okpakorese.
Staff Writer
