A former Senator and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Alex Kadiri has thrown his weight behind the return of the presidency to the south in 2023.
Kadiri, the lawmaker who represented Kogi East in the National Assembly between 1999 and 2003 said if Nigerian politicians will be true to themselves, nobody from the North Central is qualified to become the next President of Nigeria in 2023.
The former lawmaker made the submission during a chat with newsmen on Sunday.
He added however that the North Central zone can fight to get the National Chairmanship position of the APC but should leave the presidency alone.
“I am a recognized leader in the North- Central. They invite me to all their meetings. There is nobody of substance who has the capacity to be President from North Central in 2023. Please, prove me wrong and bring that person. At my age, I am not looking for anything from anybody. I am not looking for work. I can only speak my mind now” Kadiri said.
Though he supports a southern presidency in 2023 when the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari ends, the former lawmaker said the southwest is also not entitled to the position.
Speaking specifically, Kadiri declared support for Igbo presidency and said a candidacy of the current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and incumbent Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum is what Nigeria needs in 2023.
In his view, “Olusegun Obasanjo was President of Nigeria for eight years. Now Yemi Osinbajo is Vice President and in 2023, he would have spent eight years. I think for the sake of fairness, it is only right and proper for the people of the South-West to shelve the idea of producing the President.
“North-West should also forget it. The South-Easterners are my in-laws and there are more Igbos coming to this house than any other tribe in Nigeria because of my wife.
“So, I cannot have ill feelings towards an Igbo man. The fact of the matter is that Igbos with their republican attitude to everything can’t be President of Nigeria this present time (2023).
“Whether you like it or not, Rotimi Amaechi still stands as a viable person. He has the experience, and good health. Anybody we are considering today as President must be healthy. We can’t move from Yar’ Adua (Umaru) to Buhari (Muhammadu) and then to Tinubu (Bola). If Amaechi and Zulum can put their acts together, this country can move forward.”
This article was originally published on Naija News