South-Eastern Presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have written to President Muhammadu Buhari to allow the next presidential candidate of the party to come from the zone.
In a letter signed by former minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; former minister of state for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, among others, the aspirants urged the President to implement the decision of APC Northern Governors, who insist that power be zoned to the South.
According to the letter, “We the undersigned, who are aspirants to the Office of President on the platform of our party the APC, write to commend your fatherly leadership of our country and our party.
“We also commend your unequivocal approval of the position of the 14 Progressive governors from Northern Nigeria, to ensure that your successor is elected from the southern part of Nigeria. We also commend the governors for this patriotic and unifying stand. United we stand – Our unity in diversity has been the rallying point of all patriots.
“Your Excellency. we most humbly request that this position of our brothers from the North be deepened and made even more wholesome by further zoning this position to the South-East.
“We are all aware that no President can emerge without the support of various geopolitical zones and without the express collaboration of our brothers and sisters from other zones of Nigeria.
“With our Convention at hand, your kind directive for the deepening of unity in diversity, championed by our founding fathers solely on the basis of strengthening national unity and cohesion and for rousing victory at the 2023 elections are stated objectives in your speeches to the Progressive governors forum, the APC aspirants dinner and the meeting of APC stakeholders.
“Furthermore. we are humbly requesting that you consider and pick your chosen candidate from the South-East aspirants in line with your stated objectives of handing over to trusted party loyalists.
“We humbly seek your Excellency’s prompt and kind intervention to enable the party delegates to assume proper guidance.
“Please accept as always. our continuing loyalty and assurances of our esteem regards and obedience to whichever candidate your Excellency deems fit and appropriate to adopt as the candidate of the party.”