A former presidential media aide, Doyin Okupe who served during the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan has given reasons why the North will not support the South to produce the President in 2023.
Okupe in a series of tweets on Saturday alleged that the North is yet to forgive the Igbos over the happenings of the 1966 coup during which many high-profile persons including the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello were killed.
According to him, the North still views the coup as an ‘Igbo Coup’ and would therefore not support the region to produce the next president of Nigeria.
Okupe added that except the Southern region gets the support of the North, it would be impossible for any Nigerian president to emerge from the East.
He wrote: “An Igbo President is only possible if we are able to evolve a grand National Consensus on the project such as that which was enacted in 1999, when the 2 presidential candidates were Yoruba.”
“A national consensus for Igbo Presidency cannot evolve until the core north forgives the Igbos for the killing of Sardauna of Sokoto by Nigerian soldiers of Igbo extraction in the 1966 Coup.”
“This is the political Knot only the Igbo leaders must spearhead and with the support of other well meaning Nigerians, resolve with a high level of humility and political dexterity.”
“If this consensus emerges, in the interest of equity, fairness & national unity, I will shelve my ambition & support whoever is chosen as a candidate by my party.”
“However, in the event that this national consensus is not achievable, I WILL RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2023 by God’s Grace.”
“I made a statement of fact that unless a national consensus emerges, it will be impossible for a Nigerian president to emerge from the east. This is a political fact.”
“This is a political fact.”
“It is not just the east but also neither the SW, SS nor the middle belt can produce a president without a national consensus. Unfortunately, the North with its numbers only need one other zone in the south to produce a President.”
“This is also a fact. Check Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s election results. The SW produced a president in 1999 through this national consensus. FACT.”
“If the North for whatever reason does not buy-in into the Igbo Presidency it is not going to be feasible.”
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed the reason he will not support former President Goodluck Jonathan if decides to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike said he will not support Jonathan if decides to run for office in 2023 under the APC because he cannot engage in anti-party.
He made this known in an interview with BBC Pidgin on Friday. Wike noted that if Jonathan picks a ticket to run in the PDP, he will support him.
Wike said even Jonathan knew that he would work against him if he joined the APC and clinched the party’s ticket to run for the Presidency in 2023.