As the chances of micro-zoning the 2023 presidential tickets to the South East by various political parties appear vague, some residents of Enugu, Thursday, said the Peoples Democratic Party should be held responsible.
According to them, the Igbo had shown that they are PDP by giving the party their massive support since the inception of the current democratic dispensation.
Anayo Osondu, a lecturer, told our correspondent that, “Anybody justifying why the Igbo should beg to get the tickets is unfair. I blame the PDP squarely for jettisoning their zoning principles simply because it has become naturally the turn of the Igbo.
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“Anybody who has conscience will understand that the PDP should be championing zoning of its presidential slot to the South East, so that other political parties will toe the line.”
Chief Ben Nwodo, a chieftain of the PDP, said, “Nigeria is structured against Igbo people. It is the same story since the nation’s Independence. Whenever there is light for an Igbo president, it is either a military coup truncating the system, or political gimmicks.
“This time around, the powers that be want to use Nyesom Wike and Rotimi Amaechi to thwart the system.
“It remains why a typical Igbo man does not feel being a Nigerian in blood. Many now see what Emeka Ojukwu saw many years ago.”
A civil servant, Charley Okwesiri, said, “Those who condemn Nnamdi Kanu ought to be licking their wounds. We simply don’t belong here. And they won’t let us go. We are abandoned in infrastructure and political positions.”
Mrs Jane Ede, an industrialist, said, “Are you just waking up? I blame Igbo leaders. If they had developed our place the way they develop other places, we won’t be having this problem.
“We would have been industrially better off in the larger structure called Nigeria. But our political leaders are after their pockets and favouritism. They are visionless.
“Why do we keep recalling former premier of Eastern Region, Michael Okpara; Sam Mbakwe and Jim Nwobodo? After them, who else could be pointed at to have served without over enriching their private pockets?
“If they fix our rural roads, provide enabling environment for industrialisation and enthrone good governance, we would have forgotten the politics of Nigeria. How many wealthy Igbo politicians have industries in Igbo land?”
Chikwe Onu, a political analyst, said, “The All Progressives Congress should not be blamed at all. The party is yet to be entrenched in Igbo land. It’ll be difficult for APC to zone its ticket to South East for now.
“The PDP would have engaged other marginalised zones of the country to come together to support a president of South-East extraction. Today, the likes of Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, Bala Mohammed should hide their face in shame for declaring to contest.
“I support Orji Uzor Kalu’s stance. I advise Ndigbo not to contest if the ticket isn’t micro-zoned to them in principle. The refusal to enshrine rotation of presidency in our constitution is a pointer that colonisation isn’t over.”
THE WHISTLER reported that the Senate chief whip, Dr Orji Kalu, Tuesday, said he was ‘shocked’ by the failure of other regions of the country to accept the fact that the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the South East.