Former Senate President and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anyim Pius Anyim, has said that electing Nigeria’s President from the Southern part of the country in 2023 is for nation building.
The former lawmaker said that the call did not grow out of a vacuum, stressing that it was only a reminder that Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian regardless of tribe and region.
Anyim, who featured in an interview on Arise TV on Saturday, noted that presidential aspirants coming from the South-East were indicative of the demand for a president of South-East extraction.
He emphasized that no discord exists between all presidential aspirants from the region, including Peter Obi, adding, that they were all bound by a course for a better Nigeria.
He said: “The call for Southern presidency is based on the principle of federal character which is entrenched in the constitution that every segment should have an opportunity to lead. It is also in line with nation building because stakeholders tend to overlook this crucial point.
“This call by the leaders ought to be taken seriously because it is rooted in solid basis. Everyone must have a sense of belonging and I believe the electorate will heed to the call.
“The aspirants from the South-East, irrespective of party, met and we collaborated to ensure the presidency comes to the South-East. Whatever choice made by the electorates will be acceptable to me.
“There is no competition between Peter and I; he is my brother. Our strategies are different and we are going about it without any ill-feeling.
Speaking on layers of insecurity in the country, the presidential hopeful identified multi-dimensional approach to address the various factors fueling the scourge.
“The insecurity we have today is of different manifestations — banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, agitations, etc. If addressing agitations and it is approached as a criminal conduct, there would be difficulties in resolving it.
“Some of the other manifestations have economic considerations backing it up. The economic issues behind it have to be redressed in order to tackle it. We need to engage our youth in order to provide job opportunities. The education system also has to be overhauled, refocusing the curriculum so that learning will be more engaging”, he added.
RipplesNigeria