2023: South East in Diaspora and the Choice of Candidates for President
The choice of candidates for the 2023 presidential election, valued in age, encompassing all regions in promoting Federal Character, staunched in economic values would determine our readiness for a desired new Nigeria.
Nigerians in diaspora are concerned on the spate of developments in the country. In the hemisphere of our nature given natural resources, the inability of our leaders to harmonize these resources to the benefits of all and also grease to rekindle the nation’s unity had been a puzzle.
Haven identified this puzzle, the coming election in 2023 is expected not to be business as usual, where presidential candidates are solely elected by party delegates through primaries, based on the financial involvements with their political parties, neglecting public views and opinions on a way forward. The narratives instead should be, that public views of Nigerians (whom are the bulk of the electoral voting process) in upholding the unity of the Nation and the need to find solutions to our economic imbalance, should be considered by all political parties.
Where the yearnings of Nigerians, in their choice for a purposeful President is not met by political parties, such body languages from this political parties dictates definitely, how open their administration would be in assumption of office.
The constructive evaluation of the southeast for Nigeria’s economic stabilizations and federal character promotion, is motivated by the uniqueness of the people from the southeast region’s economic acumen. Moreover, Haven followed sequentially, the progressions of how political parties had raised presidential candidates in previous elections since 1999 in portrait of federal character, these bulk of the apolitical Nigerians whom are the voters, pointing towards the south for the 2023 presidential tickets, we see them to be heroic, standing for equity and fairness to the nation and also positively effecting and healing the land.
These reasons are not far from the need to resuscitate our crumbling economy. The efficacy and the economic values of an Igbo man is commonly seen in the sustenance of most communities allover the regions of Nigeria and in diaspora. This evidences are seen in the buying and selling of our daily wants, having a whopping almost 80% of the nations daily transactions in their control.
Could it be said that Nigeria is worse than the left over of the south east, after their predicaments in the 60’s?
In the inventories of our memory Lane, years ago, history had it that the southeast (the Igbo’s) started all over again. As people that saw beyond their predicaments, though rough, tough and cumbersome, they had to rebuild every destroyed socioeconomic infrastructures from the beginning, making progresses and coming back from what the world saw to be mission impossible in the twenty pounds officially given to them, for all they had in the bank before the antecedents of the 60’s.
With the negative effects and devastation of the past on this region the southeast, the up rise in the region’s economic, educational and moral progressions to other regions of the nation is enough a solution to the predicaments of Nigeria’s economic retrogressions, which is evidenced in the living standards of Nigerians.
Notwithstanding, the collective efforts of communities and religious bodies from the southeast region to assist in rebuilding most of the schools and market places of vital economic and of enormous values, such motivations, as selfless they were in rebuilding this region, would be patriotic for a drill, extracted to be useful ingredients for a United and purposeful Nigeria.
With the marginalization of this region, said to had started long ago, it could be perceived to be an intentional act in the face of the world if the core southeast are made to further experience such ridicules in the corridors of power come 2023, stripping them of their sense of belonging, in a United Nigeria.
Traumatized by the sparkles from the southeast upon producing the president in the 2023 presidential elections, looking towards the southeast is not tied basically to these marginalization’s perceived, rather, it’s the competency drawn from the economic creative abilities of people from the region to reshape our economy, make it workable and in returns making life meaningful.
Haven heard so much Humongous explanation on the reasons to search in the direction of the south east for the nations solutions, here are in brief, some public individuals from the southern regions of Nigeria that can stir Nigeria economy up after President Muhammadu Buhari ‘s administrations.
*Goodluck Jonathan; (Bayelsa State)*
One time governor of Bayelsa state, Doctrine of necessity supported and one tenure elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
His availability for the presidency 2023 would be purposeful to political interests, in a possible quick shift of power from the southern regions.
He had physical and human projects to himself while he served in the capacity of the president for six years, some of which are still useful to the nation.
*Orji Uzor Kalu; (Abia State)*
One man that comes in mind is Sen Orji Kalu, owing to his wealth of experience as an accomplished businessman with enormous investment. He can be described as the most decorated politician from this region, the south east. Having to his constituency, state and region, the Chief whip of the 9th Senate, on his first seat as a senator, shows his spirited will. The reliability of Kalu according to facts are unquantifiable, amidst this glamour for federal character and also in pursuance to revamped Nigerian Economy and political stability.
He’s definitely a voice to listen and reckoned with, spreading from his robust love for unity and nation building, his elected public services to the nation started early enough. He headed the First International Bank Limited at the age of 33. He was in the Federal House of Assembly, dated 1993. Eight year governor of Abia state, within which he had numerous positive policies to health and education free for all during his governance.
With his foundation, the Orji Uzor Kalu foundation, he had shown enormous concerns to the society in divers ways, empowering Nigeria youths academically through scholarships home and abroad, revived hunted talents as a grassroots builder, aided business to grow by giving soft loans and also had cared weightily for the less privileged in the rural communities.
His engagements with private and public sectors hangs for him a positive profile, factored in his business growth as he’s the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria.
They’re no contradictions that he would effect positively to the nation economically.
*Nyesom Wike; (Rivers State)*
He believes in the rule of law. He has garnered to himself fans and enormous public attention, thereby, he’s seen as one among other governors keeping the opposition party (PDP) afloat.
He’s fearless, only concerned with what the people would benefit, from the coffer of their fatherland. His relevance as a governor of Rivers State is the Mr Project factors of his vigorous constructions that has changed the economic values of Rivers state for the positive.
Flying him for presidency from this region in 2023, knowing his concerns in confidence, of good governance is a supper added advantage to the opposition party the PDP.
*Dave Umahi; (Ebonyi State)*
Currently in his second tenure service to his people in Ebonyi State, governor Dave Umahi is outstanding in his pitch to set the state on a new revolution infrastructural developments.
His outstanding performance in this splits of time, shows his commitments to improving the lives of people and making the economy workable for the people. His sort for the presidency would gainfully generate grate ideas of structural, infrastructural and economic values to our GDP.
*Owelle Rochas Okorocha; (Imo State)*
2011-2015 governor of Imo State under the hospices of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) before joining the All Progressive Congress, while still on sit as governor of Imo state in 2013. He was later elected the chairman of the Progressive governors forum. He is the Founder, Rochas Foundation Inc.
The desire to be president of the country had been his passions . In ANPP, he ran for the party’s presidential nomination. And the formation of the Action Alliance (AA) in 2005, forth with his possible presidential bids in 2007 were clear indication of this interest.
Presently representing Imo State west district at the Senate and can also be said to had succeeded as a business man.
*Peter Gregory Obi; (Anambra State)*
He was the vice presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections. He took office, after several years of litigations in 2006 as the governor of Anambra State. Highly embattled, the court’s verdicts had always given him an edge.
Remarkably, he is a business man of which his business knowledges could be gainful if given the flag of the PDP, for the presidential election in 2023.
*Chris Ngige. (Anambra State)*
The Hon. Minister of Labour and employment is serving his second term as minister under the president Mohammed Buhari’s administrations. He was a three year governor of Anambra State under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He was elected senator representing Anambra Central constituency in 2011 with the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
*Pius Anyim (Ebonyi State)*
Served as the President of the Nigerian senate and was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation during Goodluck Jonathan presidency. He was elected a Senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in 1999 for the Ebonyi South constituency of Ebonyi State.
History had him of great interest in the Nigeria project of which his commitments had earned him respect from all works of the federation.
Presented in this article are Nigerians from the south and southeast region that had distinguished themselves in a way or the other towards public services. They belong to political parties, same political parties that made other regions presidents in the rotation of power to accommodate the uniqueness of Federal Character.
What are your views about making the next president from the southeast, are the listed names no experiences nor exposed enough to handle Nigeria for an unprecedented all round growth?
