Elder statesman and Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, alongside other eminent Nigerians are set to participate in a dialogue aimed at making a stronger advocacy for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in next year’s general election.
The Greater Nigeria Conference, GNC, which is slated for Monday at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja, is led by a former Governor of Enugu state, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Sen. Victor Umeh and Sen Chris Anyanwu among other Igbo patriots at home and in the diaspora
A statement from the GNC Media Office signed by Collins Steve Ugwu disclosed that the conference is organized as a pan-Nigerian dialogue by the non-partisan ‘Nzuko Umunna’, a global Igbo Think-Tank.
“It is dedicated towards awakening the best ethnic and political fraternities of Nigerians to appreciate the binding need for accommodation and sacrifice, in supporting a Nigerian President from the South-East region of Nigeria come 2023 elections.
“The plannings are complete, the audience is ready, and more patriotic Nigerians are now selfless in championing the truth, that our country can only get better and faster on the wheels of equality, justice, fairness and deliberate inclusion, to all her citizens, especially the Southeast people of Nigeria,” Ugwu added.
He said aside the nationalist patriots expected in Abuja from all over the country, four governors from the Southeast, who will play central roles to the big idea of a Nigerian President from the Southeast persuasion project, will also be in attendance.
“It is already heart warming, and a sign of great awareness what one of them, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state declared passionately this week that Ndigbo have cried enough on their marginalization, and Nigerians should grant the region a fair playing ground, come 2023 general elections for the Presidency.
“Hear him in clear sync with the GNC project: ‘No one in Nigeria can deny the fact that Ndigbo are zealous, patriotic and committed to the oneness of Nigeria. All that they demand is a level playing field for all of us to operate and compete’.
“Amplifying this firm and fair resolve, he again called Nigerians’ attention to history, thus, ‘Most of the patriots who engineered the plan that made the Southwest region produce the presidential candidates for the two major political parties in 1999 are still alive and active in Nigerian politics.
“‘That same underlying love for the country that inspired them to do what they did for the Southwest in 1999, should inspire them to do the same for the Southeast in 2023′.
“That simply is a factual foretaste to the many more of what Greater Nigeria Conference will put in the front burner, as it gathers all the presidential aspirants from Southeast before Nigerians to dialogue and persuade the election of one as Nigeria President in the spirit of together-we-can-do-better for this country,” he stated.
