2023 Presidency: Buhari's Minister Reveals 1 Important Reason Southeast Should Be Considered
- Labour minister Chris Ngige said he concurred with those who see the 2023 election as a time for the Igbos to get the presidential seat
- Ngige said the feelings of marginalization prevalent in the southeast region will be reduced if Igbo man emerges the number citizen
- The minister also said the Buhari administration has delivered on its promises, noting that critics are being unfair to the president
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
FCT, Abuja - Dr Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, says he agrees with those agitating that the presidency should go to the southeast in 2023.
Ngige spoke when he featured as a guest on Channels Television on Monday, June 14.
Source: Getty Images
Calls for the presidential seat to be zoned to the southeast region have gathered momentum even as other regions also want the coveted number one political position.
The labour minister said an Igbo presidency will reduce feelings of marginalization in the southeast region.
The former governor of Anambra state added that tensions and the feeling of marginalization by people in the region will be addressed if the nation’s number one position is occupied by an Igbo man.
His words:
“The people in the area have perceived that they are marginalized, that they are unappreciated, whether it was done by propaganda and brainwashing or not, that is now immaterial.
“So I agree with that proposal, unfortunately, the Nigerian constitution does not have that. This is where I quarrel with those who authored the 1999 Constitution.
“I still believe today, tomorrow, that the Abacha Constitution of 1995 that espouses rotational presidency into the six zones in Nigeria, a single five-year tenure in order to heal all the wounds; the wounds of civil war, and the wound of June 12.
“Now, that constitution would have been the best constitution for Nigerians to use for the next 30 years by which the six zones would have tested the presidency."
Buhari has tolerated too much from critics
Meanwhile, Ngige also said President Muhammadu Buhari has tolerated a lot from critics, reiterating that many Nigerians want to stretch him (Buhari) beyond reasonable limits.
According to him, many leaders will not condone the kind of criticisms President Buhari faces.
He queried in a Channels TV's YouTube video sighted by Legit.ng:
“Can President Obasanjo give you people the latitude?… He will not grant you people that! So, this president (Buhari) is a willing horse and you people (Nigerians) want to ride him to death."
He said the present government has delivered its promises in many areas and called on critics and members of the public to give kudos to the Buhari administration.
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Violence in the southeast region: Ngige blames Igbo elites
The labour minister has also blamed Igbo elites for the violence in the region.
He alleged that the propaganda by the elites against the Buhari administration was provoking trouble in the zone.
Ngige made the statement during a meeting of the Association of Eze Ndigbo in Abuja, arguing that the president is a friend of the Igbo.
Source: Legit.ng
