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Ade Banjo canvass for Igbo Presidency

Leader of Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo has reiterated his support for Igbo Presidency in the 2023 election. 

He asserted at the weekend while speaking with journalists, stressing that any attempt by a Northerner to become President comes 2023 would spell doom for the country.

While canvassing for an Igbo Presidency, Adebanjo said: “All those who say the South-East cannot be President, ask them” what has the South-East done? Are they not part of Nigeria? Is the South-East not part of Southern Nigeria? 

“If you want peace in Nigeria, the South-East should produce the next president of Nigeria. Olusegun Obasanjo had done it for eight years, Yemi Osinbajo would be Vice President for eight years by 2023, Goodluck Jonathan was president for six years. Is the South-East not in Nigeria? And then, you want it to go back to the South-West again.

“I told Bola Tinubu: How can you say Buhari is supporting you when he supports Kayode Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun and Osinbajo? And then, they threw the bait at Jonathan again.

“Jonathan disappointed me. Instead of rejecting it, he said he was thinking about it. What is he thinking about? I regret ever giving him my support, and this is on principle.

“Mind you, the moment you avoid principle, equity, honesty and ideology, you can’t get anywhere in this country. If you gang up against a section of the country, how do you want to get peace? Should a Northerner win the 2023 elections, it will be goodbye to Nigeria. I have said it, and I want them to come and arrest me.”

Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has thrown its weight behind Adebanjo’s warning, stating that it should not be taken for granted if the country will continue to stay united.

The National President of the forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, while speaking with a journalist in Makurdi, Benue State, said the country is in dire straits. Everything possible must be done to save the country and not plunge her into eventual disintegration.

According to Pogu: “What he said is the correct picture portraying the Nigerian situation. And while all these deceits and vilification of the Igbo have been going on over the years, the truth remains that marginalisation has to stop for Nigeria to move forward.

“We insist that the presidency go to the South because we want Nigeria to remain one entity. The truth is that Adebanjo has exposed what will likely happen if the North tries to continue to lead the country after President Buhari.

“That is why we are insisting that if, for any reason, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is the main opposition party, decides to leave its presidential ticket open and a Northerner picks it; we are going to work against that Northerner; so that we can save Nigeria from disintegration.

“So, to save Nigeria, ab initio, just like in 1999, it was not just zoned to the South, it was micro-zoned to the South-West to save the situation. Our situation now is more challenging and dire than in 1999.

“We need to address the security problems, and we need to reunite Nigerians. We must also ensure that we get the presidency to the South and then the South moving it to the South-East will be a welcome development, and we are all in support of that for the unity, peace and progress of our country.”

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