Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu says Northern Nigeria must support Igbo presidency in 2023 before the quest can succeed.
However, he said the support could not be got without dialogue.
Ekweremadu (PDP – Enugu West) spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a book presentation titled: ‘Pitch: Debunking Marketing’s Strongest Myths’, authored by brands strategist, Ikem Okuhu.
“There is clamour for Igbo presidency today. And I believe it can only be realised if we engage ourselves in conversation with northern Nigeria to buy into our initiative,” he said.
The federal lawmaker’s statement came few days after a coalition of northern elders pledged their support for Igbo presidency in 2023.
Meanwhile, the senator has berated the Federal Government for allegedly turning a deaf ear to solutions proffered by patriotic Nigerians to growing insecurity characterised by banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the country.
“Today, Nigeria is in the full grip of widespread insecurity – insurgency, banditry, abductions, armed robbery, and all manner of violent crimes. Nigerians have been offering solutions towards taming the rising wave of criminality.
“These include calls for decentralised policing, which I am a proponent of and also have a Bill to that effect currently before the Senate.
“Unfortunately, it appears the government is bent on doing the same thing over and over but ironically hoping to get a different result. “In the same manner, many Nigerians, including yours sincerely, have been shouting it on the rooftops long before the current economic downturn occasioned by drastic and protracted decline in oil revenues, that the days of high oil revenues were numbered.
“The West and other developed nations are setting targets to move away from oil. Yet we are not even close to activating other abundant sources of income because our federalism is wired for wealth sharing rather than wealth creation.
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“Even in the 7th National Assembly when we listened to the yearnings of Nigerians to amend the constitution to devolve aviation, power, railway, etc. from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List, it was never assented by the Presidency.
“Now that the chicken has come home to roost, let us hope that the Federal Government will listen to the voices of reason, devolve powers, and not continue with the micromanagement of the nation’s resources,” Ekweremadu stated.