Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the second Southeast multi-partisan meeting has been fixed for March 7, 2021 in Enugu. Southeast leaders from the ruling All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, are among political parties are expected to attend the meeting scheduled for Enugu Government House.
According to the invitation to the meeting, signed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, chief whip of the Senate; Senator Ike Ekweremadu, representing Enugu West senatorial zone; Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former secretary to government of the federation, and Hon Nkeiru Onyejeocha, deputy chief whip, House of Representatives, the expected participants are governors and former governors, ministers and former ministers, senators and former senators, former Senate presidents and former speakers of the House of Representatives, members of House of Representatives and former members of House of Representatives, present and past national chairmen of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); speakers of state Houses of Assembly and former speakers of state Houses of Assembly from the region.
THE WHISTLER reported that the first bipartisan meeting of the stakeholders from the region held on January 5, 2021 at the Igbere country home of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. However, no state governor attended the meeting, which cast doubts on the general acceptance of the concept.
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The chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, Engr David Umahi, in a response, had said the governors did not attend because they ‘were not involved in the planning of the meeting’, adding that ‘the organisers used the names of the governors as conveners without their permission’.
According to him, “If there should be such a meeting which they feel is very necessary, the governors must be seen to be informed and be part and parcel of calling such a meeting. They strongly feel that Ohanaeze is in position to speak on such issues. So, they want to say that the governors are not involved and they encouraged all their people to boycott such a meeting.”
Pundits however expect full participation of Southeast governors in the forthcoming meeting. Nick Mgbo, a public affairs analyst, said, “Orji Kalu has hobnobbed Southeast states in the recent time, so that might have informed his trips. The governors, if they are not selfish, should also support such platforms to champion our future in the dwindling government of Nigeria. Even though the agenda is not stated, but it won’t be far from 2023 presidency. Above all, hosting the meeting at the Enugu Government House makes it open. Some earlier said hosting it at Orji Kalu’s house could be to project his presidential ambition.”