Two presidential aspirants from the South East, Senator Ken Nnamani and Dr Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu have queried the decision of the national leadership of their ruling All Progressives Congress APC to jettison zoning in the race of the party’s presidential ticket.
Addressing delegates at the Special Convention and Presidential Primary of the APC Tuesday in Abuja, they wondered why the party which had insisted on zoning during its March 26 national convention where it elected a national chairman of northern extraction would now turn round to discard zoning.
Nnamani had earlier withdrawn from the race citing injustice.
Onu, who is the immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to ensure justice and fairness.
He recalled that the South-West and South-South regions had produced President and Vice President in the country.
The aspirant noted that the South-East has produced neither President nor Vice President.
He said, “I am going to build on the work already done by this administration and previous leaders of our great nation. Nigeria is destined by God to be a great nation. Nigeria is a nation to grow enough food for its people and export the surplus, and to ensure our Naira regains the strength it used to have before.
“Using science, technology and innovation, encouraging entrepreneurship and ensuring Nigerians are educated; and making it compulsory at the primary and secondary levels, will make Nigeria ranked in the stature of the USA and China.
“That is why I decided to run for President and make sure we build a nation that every Nigerian will be happy to be a citizen of.
“We will allocate two per cent of GDP to science, technology and innovation within two years. We will create a one trillion Naira fund for job creation, especially for the youths.
“I appeal to the leadership of APC, you know the role I played in bringing APC into being. I paid for the money that was used to register for APC. We must uphold the motor of APC to ensure justice, peace and prosperity.
“After the President, it should be somebody from the South-East to succeed him, it will strengthen the unity of Nigeria.
“The South-West has had eight years as President and Vice President, South-South have had President, where is the justice? We need to do what is right.”
