Politics

2023 Presidency: Igbo Elders Blast Kalu, Uzodimma, Others Working Against South-East

Published

4 years ago

May 21, 2022

The clamour for the next president to emerge from the South-East zone has been a long agitation from the people of the zone. They argue that it is one of the things that would reduce the current massive agitation for Biafra Republic by the youths from the area, an agitation that has almost ruined the zone.

However, it is worrisome that some politicians are bent on working against the collective pursuit.

Notable politicians as Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who initially declared his interest to run for the position suddenly chickened out. Together with Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, the Senate Chief Whip started championing the presidential ambition of Senate President Ahmad Lawan from North-East.

Nonagenarian, foremost Igbo leader and First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, angered by the action, has dismissed them and other Igbo politicians supporting non-Igbo aspirants as people with “no political relevance and cannot make any difference toward the project of Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.”

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, Chief Amechi, who said that though anybody has the right to support an aspirant of his or her choice, expressed joy that the South- East aspiration has been getting good support from leaders from other zones.

Mbazulike therefore, urged aspirants of South-East extraction not to lose sleep over the actions of those politicians he said have no electoral value. He charged them to redouble their campaigns and continue to dialogue with people from other ethnic nationalities in towards realising their ambitions.

“It is the delegates to the parties’ national convention that will decide or determine who will be their parties’ flag bearers not people who are not in the convention or anybody by the side. The delegates will decide who will be candidates of their parties for the contest.

“What we are talking about is getting a candidate from South- East to contest. We are saying that it is the turn of the people of South-East not necessarily Igbo.

“We appreciate notable Nigerians who have been honest and vocal in demanding and insisting that it is the turn of Ndigbo of South-East to produce the next president of Nigeria; we appreciate them, people like Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark and many others, even from Middle Belt. They have been honest and genuine in their demand for Nigerians to support and allow the people of South-East to produce the next president of Nigeria,” Amechi said.

On the issue of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and some Igbo politicians supporting and canvassing votes for non- Southeasterners, Chief Amechi said: “Orji Uzor Kalu and his likes have the right to support anybody they want to support for the President of Nigeria in the 2023 Presidential election. They are, however, not so relevant in Igbo land; they can’t make any difference.

“While I agree that Nigeria can go on with or without Igbo, I however believe it is necessary that we have a big united country where rights are respected and where equity prevails. If such people who have no relevance in South-East are saying otherwise to the demand of their people, how do you blame them? They cannot make any difference and so nobody should lose sleep about their actions and utterances, you may not even know what is their plans.

“What I think those Igbo politicians singing different tones while our brothers from other parts of the country are speaking and canvassing for support for us to produce Nigeria president of South-East extraction is that, the fact that they are making such campaign shows they have their own agenda and you don’t blame them.

“You don’t know where they are going. Some are looking for the position of Vice President, if a Northerner wins, some are doing that to be relevant, while some are also doing that to get candidates from the North and East to split their votes. So, it depends on some uncertainties.

“The only thing is for the South-East aspirants to exploit the situation, to understand what the situation is; both in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, and adjust strategically. They should take a strategic advantage of the development and continue their outreach with other stakeholders in Nigeria.

“South-East aspirants should go on with their campaign, outreach and discussion with other stakeholders. On May 29 last year, I called a meeting in my house here and told the members of the two leading political parties from South-East that the only way they could make it is to reduce the number of aspirants to one or two from each party.

“If they swell up the place, they lose their votes and give the other people chance to beat them and in the process they will all fail. But if they unite and rally behind one or two aspirants, when that one succeeds, he makes sure he accommodates the others. That is the sensible thing to do, but if they want to say that it is either me or nobody, then there may be nobody among them.”

The elder statesman however, reiterated his readiness and willingness to welcome the aspirants to support them with strategies on how they should pursue their aspiration.

“No doubt some have been visiting me, some have been talking with me on telephone, however, I am open to all, and if anybody comes I will receive him and offer my advice. I am still open to them individually and collectively.

“I will only advise them to collectively come so we can discuss together, it does not stop them from doing what they want to do individually and collectively. Let them have the benefit of my being around and experience in this time.

“Generally speaking, there are two stages to the presidency, the party nomination and the convention and of course the voter, and the Supreme God. If the people of South-East get all these right and the real person for the contest emerges, we can get the seat of the President.”

Also, the Chairman Elders Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu, declared that it was expected of every Igbo politician to support presidential aspirants from the South-East zone and not those from another region of the country.

According to Iwuayanwu, it was what was agreed by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo so that the struggle to actualise the Igbo presidency will be achieved.

“I will speak on this matter later and it will be in detail but what I want to tell you now is that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said that we need a President of Igbo extraction.

“So, we expect every Igbo person to support Igbo presidential ambition, especially now that the Southern brothers and Middle Belt are supporting us. They have not changed their support. Everybody agreed it is the turn of Igbo.

“Some of them were giving excuses that we have not come to see them but in 1999, Nigerian leaders came together and gave the presidency to the South-West, just like the same situation the Igbo are now facing, and it was agreed then that the presidency should be given to the South-West zone and it was given to them,” Iwuanyanwu said.

Former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, cautioned Igbo politicians supporting political aspirants from other zones to stop sabotaging the common interest of the Igbo.

Nwodo, a former Governor of Enugu State, stated that South-East zone has massive and convincing reasons why they should be given a chance to produce a president for the country in 2023.

While urging the recalcitrant politicians to retrace their steps, he added that they have not been able to convince anybody on their reasons for sabotaging Igbo agenda.

“We have massive and convincing reasons why presidency should be zoned to the Southern Nigeria, and if that is done, why it should be micro-zoned to South-East.

“All our politicians in South-East and Southern Nigeria who are not supporting this project have not been able to convince anybody why they are doing so. I want such politicians to answer the clarion call of the people they are representing in politics,” Nwodo said.

Meanwhile, Senate Chief Whip and Senator representing Abia North, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has come under fire for his sudden support for the North to produce the President in 2023, citing the refusal of the two major political parties to specifically cede their presidential tickets to the South-East as reason for his action.

The former Abia Governor and chieftain of the ruling APC, shortly after pulling out of the presidential race, declared support for Senate Presiden Lawan, who he described as a friend.

Kalu’s action is seen as sabotage against the collective interest of Ndigbo.

Hitting Kalu for his “embarrassing position”, Igbo youths under the auspices of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders COSEYL, said they were disappointed in the former governor.

Similarly, the Traditional Prime Minister of Ibeku ancient kingdom, and Kalu’s former ally, High Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu (Bawas), said personal interest was the real motive behind Kalu’s sudden position.

To Chief Akwukwuegbu, Kalu is shrewdly positioning himself for a juicy office in the event that power is retained by the North beyond 2023.

His words:”Orji’s move is a gambit. He knows that he is not serious about it. He only wants to ally with the North to get his better share.

“Orji Kalu doesn’t want to lose out which is not the best for us as a people. There must be sacrifices. Then if he caves in so easily when does he think other regions will find Ndigbo worthy of the position?

“I love the courage of other Igbo presidential aspirants still in the race because without a formidable fight nobody will give it to us.”

In the same vein, COSEYL dismissed Kalu’s excuse for backing the North against Igbo interest as very lame and selfish.

President General of the umbrella body of all youth groups in the South East geopolitical zone, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, expressed dismay over Kalu’s position.

Igbo youths expressed disappointment that Kalu decided to drum support for the North at a time some eminent Nigerians like Chief Edwin Clark, and Pa Ayo Adebanjo, from outside South-East are lending their weight behind power shift to South-East East.

“We are alarmed over the decision of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. The reasons he adduced do not hold water given the fact that in 1998 Jos convention, Dr. Alex Ekwueme contested stiffly for the PDP presidential ticket but because there was an understanding to zone it to South-West in order to pacify the zone for the cancellation of June 12, 1993 election won by Chief M. K. O Abiola, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo won the party’s primaries.

“So, for Senator Orji Kalu to say he is backing the North to produce the next President of the country against the will and mood of the nation is not the position of the people of South-East.

“Our position remains that the APC, PDP and other political parties should zone their presidential tickets to the South-East for equity, fairness and Justice.

“South-East should be treated the same way South-West was treated in 1999 when it was agreed that all parties should zone their presidential tickets to the South-West. Our own should not be different. We have equal rights and stake in this country like other Nigerians.”

Further investigations revealed that Kalu and Chief Jim Nwobodo are yet to be forgiven by Ndigbo over their infamous role at the 1998 PDP Jos convention that denied late Dr Alex Ekwueme the opportunity of picking the PDP ticket.

VANGUARD.

Related Topics:#Orji Kalu Hope Uzodinma PDP

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2027: NDC Unveils Electoral Committee Members For Primaries

Published

47 minutes ago

May 28, 2026

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The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has released list of Electoral Committee Members to Conduct primary election.

The exercise is for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship and Presidential Primaries across all States in Nigeria and the FCT.

This was contained in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The party had provided updates concerning its upcoming Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly primaries.

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and Barr. Ikenna Alex-Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary, the primaries are confirmed to take place across the nation on May 29, 2026, adhering to the previously established timetable of May 28 and 29.

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APC: Fubara Has Been Treated Badly, It’s Dangerous For Tinubu – Otubanjo

Published

51 minutes ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has said the treatment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress’, APC, primary poses political danger to President Bola Tinubu.

Otubanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also criticised the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the political affairs of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the handling of Fubara’s political crisis remains one of the most surprising developments in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Otubanjo further argued that Wike, who is not a member of the APC, appears to be dictating political activities within the ruling party in Rivers State.The research director warned that the current political arrangement in Rivers State could negatively affect Tinubu politically, insisting that Wike was pursuing his personal agenda rather than that of the president.

He said: “The treatment of Fubara must be one of the American wonders of Nigerian politics. Fubara has been badly treated. We have a situation in which Nyesom Wike who is not even in the APC is taking the primary decision in the APC. I hope the tactical team of President Bola Tinubu is not sleeping.

“The reality is that what they have done is very dangerous for Tinubu. What has emerged in Rivers today is that Wike is pursuing his own agenda, not Tinubu’s agenda inspite of PBAT and all of that combination.”

“If Wike really wants to pursue Tinubu’s agenda, he must retain Fubara.”

Politics

In Defence Of Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe: The Generational Shift Reshaping Edo Politics

Published

21 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie

For decades, Edo politics remained trapped within a narrow and predictable cycle of political recycling. The same ageing actors moved endlessly from one office to another, from one administration to the next, and from one political alignment to another, as though leadership in Edo State had become the exclusive inheritance of a permanent political aristocracy.

Meanwhile, thousands of intelligent, energetic, and capable young Edo people watched helplessly from the margins while opportunities for leadership, governance, party administration, and public service remained tightly controlled by individuals whose political relevance dated back several decades.

That unhealthy political culture is now gradually changing.

Today, one of the most important political transformations taking place within the All Progressives Congress in Edo State is the deliberate transition from recycled political gerontocracy to a younger generation of political actors. That transition is unfolding under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State and Leader of the APC in Edo State, together with the State Chairman of the party, Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Predictably, such a shift has unsettled entrenched interests.

Those who became accustomed to monopolising political relevance naturally feel threatened by the emergence of a younger generation that is increasingly assertive, visible, influential, and institutionally empowered. Yet, history teaches a simple lesson: no political structure survives indefinitely without renewal.

No serious political party can continue recycling the same exhausted political machinery forever while expecting innovation, grassroots energy, modern governance ideas, and long-term political sustainability.

That reality appears to be clearly understood by Governor Monday Okpebholo and Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Much of the criticism unfairly directed at Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe in recent times stems from the fact that he has become one of the visible faces of this generational transition within Edo APC. Beneath the noise, propaganda, and political bitterness lies an undeniable truth: the party is consciously opening spaces for younger people in ways not seen for many years.

From the youthful Deputy Chairman of APC in Edo State, Sylvester Aigboboh, to several younger commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the State Executive Council, board chairmen, local government administrators, and strategic appointees across government, the evidence of deliberate political renewal is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

In Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Imafidon has emerged as one of the young faces of focused governance and grassroots administration. Beyond politics, he has already established himself successfully in business, bringing into governance the mindset of productivity, enterprise, and modern administrative engagement.

In Etsako, Hon. Sunny Ekpeson has continued to attract national attention as the youngest ALGON Chairman in Nigeria, representing a clear departure from the era where local government leadership was treated as the permanent preserve of ageing political operators disconnected from younger demographics.

In Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Hon. Eric Osawaru represents another example of the younger political generation now entrusted with leadership responsibilities, while in Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri equally reflects the growing confidence being reposed in younger administrators within the APC structure.

In Owan, Hon. Aitalegbe Ernest, popularly known as “China Boy,” has also emerged as one of the prominent young political figures gaining traction as the incoming Chairman of the local government, further reinforcing the expanding generational transition currently taking shape across Edo State.

The same pattern is visible across government institutions and strategic agencies.

Pastor Stanley Dave Ighodaro, a successful entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Europe, now heads the Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency. His emergence reflects an increasingly important shift towards bringing professionally exposed and globally minded younger individuals into governance and public administration.

Similarly, Kassim Otono, who serves as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Executive Governor of Edo State, represents another example of younger technocratic involvement within the present administration. His inclusion within such a strategic sector underscores the growing confidence being placed in younger professionals and politically aware technocrats within government.

This is how enduring institutions are built.

A political party that refuses to regenerate itself eventually becomes intellectually stagnant, structurally weak, and electorally disconnected from evolving social realities.

Governor Monday Okpebholo deserves commendation for recognising that governance in a rapidly changing society cannot remain permanently tied to political methods and leadership assumptions developed several decades ago. Contemporary governance demands adaptability, technological awareness, stronger grassroots engagement, administrative energy, and a deeper connection with younger populations.

Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe equally deserves credit for helping stabilise the party while managing this difficult but necessary transition process. Generational shifts are never easy within political systems historically dominated by established interests. Resistance is inevitable. Political resentment is expected. Internal anxieties naturally emerge whenever old monopolies begin to weaken.

Leadership, however, requires courage.

The recently concluded primaries further revealed this evolving direction within the APC. The emergence of candidates such as Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Osazee Igbinovia, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, Omosede Igbinedion, Sir Lucky Eseigbe, and Odianosen Okojie reflects a growing political philosophy that increasingly values capacity, grassroots relevance, contemporary appeal, and generational continuity.

Equally symbolic is the emergence of several young Acting Local Government Council Chairmen who are now candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections. That development sends a powerful message across Edo State that political participation is gradually becoming more accessible to younger people with competence, commitment, and organisational value.

For too long, many young people in Edo politics were reduced to political spectators, social media defenders, praise singers, or election-day foot soldiers while actual power remained tightly guarded elsewhere. Such a model was never sustainable.

A society that continuously sidelines its younger generation ultimately weakens its own political future.

The ongoing transition within Edo APC does not amount to hostility towards elders or experienced political actors. Experience remains valuable. Elder statesmen still possess institutional memory and political wisdom that younger actors can benefit from immensely. Mentorship, however, must never become political suffocation. Guidance must never evolve into permanent political domination.

Every generation deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping the future it will eventually inherit.

That is precisely why the current direction of the APC leadership in Edo State deserves objective acknowledgement rather than emotional hostility.

Many of those attacking Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe today are not truly angry about party administration. Their deeper discomfort arises from the reality that political influence is gradually shifting away from old centres of control towards a newer generation of actors who may no longer depend entirely on traditional political gatekeepers for relevance or survival.

Societies evolve.

Political cultures evolve.

Leadership itself evolves.

No generation owns political power forever.

Ultimately, the future of Edo State cannot be built exclusively around recycled political veterans whose greatest political moments belong largely to the past. A forward-looking society must continuously create room for younger leadership, newer ideas, fresh administrative energy, and modern political thinking.

That future is already unfolding within the APC in Edo State.

History may eventually remember Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe and Governor Monday Okpebholo as central figures in the difficult but necessary political transition that began moving Edo away from recycled political dominance towards a broader and younger leadership culture capable of preparing the state for a different era.

Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and public intellectual from Uhunmwode Local Government Area.