Opinion; Why President Buhari Must Be Succeeded By Executive President Of Igbo Extraction -- Ogbuatu


Politics and political party affiliations apart, it has become very necessary, important and of course expedient for President Mohammadu Buhari to be succeeded by a Nigerian Executive President of Igbo extraction based on equity, fairness, oneness, togetherness, repentance brotherliness, love, peace, forgiveness, tolerance and stronger national cohesion.

As Igbo people and as Nigerians who share the same inalienable rights with other citizens of Nigeria, we can feign ignorance of the root cause of the litany of woes we find ourselves today. The Igbo nation has been suffering unimaginable marginalization since the 1967-1970 civil war was won and lost. As our dear Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Dr. David Nweze Umahi, Fnse Fnate and Chairman of Southeast Governors' Forum made it clear in his recent interview on Channels Television; inasmuch as we don't want 'utopic' Biafra, we demand to be treated equally as people who are parts and parcels of the Nigerian State. We agree with our dear Governor.

That aside; let's walk down memory lane. The history of leadership in Nigeria from independence in 1960 both in military and democratic dispensations till date, has largely alienated and eluded the Igbo nation. For emphasis of clarity, all the five geopolitical zones of the country; North East, North West, North Central, South West and South South have at one time or the other produced past leaders of the country whether in military or democratic era. The only time, however that the Igbo nation had an opportunity was after the failure of Major Nzeogwu's coup on 15th January, 1966 when Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi was invited by what was left of the Council of Ministers at the time by virtue of his position and rank as the most senior army officer in Nigeria and the General Officer Commanding the Nigerian army, to takeover the leadership of the country. Ironsi was in office for about seven months (Jan-July, 1966) as he was gruesomely assassinated in a counter military coup d'etat. Hence, that period of his interregnum is an isolated case vis a vis the other times enjoyed by other geopolitical zones.

Today, the Southeast which we used to pride as the most peaceful region in Nigeria after the civil war has become a theatre of separatist agitations and a huge slaughter house and a large field of blood-letting where innocent Igbos are daily sacrificed on the monstrous and murderous alter of insecurity and terrorism. For how long will we continue to die and keep pretending we do not know where the shoe pinches?

A Nigerian Executive President of Igbo extraction will not only address the issues of marginalization of the Southeast geopolitical zone and other geopolitical zones because the issue of marginalization is multifaceted and hydra-headed, he will also bridge the leadership gap between other geopolitical zones and the southeast as regards the presidency and douse the tension in the southeast and indeed all over the country which threaten our corporate existence as a sovereign state.

On the other hand, our people; the Igbo should show commitment by joining ranks irrespective of political party leanings and violent separatist agitations to enable us succeed. This is not the time to constitute ourselves as divisive centrifugal forces; it is the time to promote our common aspiration as cohesive centripetal forces. Igboland is bleeding and the flow is tsunamic. Let us seek a direct treatment to the hemorrhage instead of a trial and error approach at the symptoms. This is why President Buhari must, as a matter of urgent national importance see to it that a Nigerian Executive President of Igbo extraction became his immediate successor in 2023.

May God help us to succeed in our clamour for President Of Igbo Extraction . May Nigeria know peace and may the dignity of our nation be restored.


Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad is the
State Publicity Secretary, APC, Ebonyi State

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