2023: Group, Great Nigeria Conference To Meet In Abuja

By Uche Mbah

Again, exigencies of the time have forced a unifying meeting of southern stakeholders to jaw-jaw on the thorny issue of zoning the presidency to the south.

This time, the convergence is limited to the Afenifere, a pan Yoruba cultural and socio political group led by Pa Ayo Adebanjo and leader of the Southern & Middle Belt Forum, Pa Edwin Clark.

Ohaneze Ndigbo, however, are not represented as a body. Instead, governors from the South-East region and some other stakeholders appear to hold court for the South east.

The meeting was billed to take place at the International Conference Center Abuja Monday.

They termed the conference the Greater Nigeria Conference, GNC.

Led by a former Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Senator Victor Umeh, and Senator Chris Anyanwu, among others, according to a statement Sunday from their Media Office signed by Collins Steve Ugwu, the conference is aimed at sensitizing Nigerians on the need for the Presidency returning to the south,and specifically the South east come 2023.

“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, for all her citizens, especially the Southeast people of Nigeria”, the statement read.

Governors of the South-east Region and diverse stakeholders are expected to storm the venue.

Aside from the nationalists,  patriots expected in Abuja from all over the country include governors from the Southeast region, including governor Hope Ụzọdịnma of Imo state.

“No one in Nigeria can deny the fact that Ndigbo is 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,” he was quoted to have said.

“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 on the front burner, as they gather 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.”