2023: Group urges South-South to reject vice presidency, party chairman

A group, South-South Presidency 2023 Advocacy Group, has urged people of the geopolitical zone not to accept the position of vice president in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

It also warned them against accepting the position of National Chairman of any political party in the country.

This according to the group, was aimed at ensuring that their advocacy of asking for a South-South president in 2023, come into reality.

In a communique jointly signed by the Protem Chairman, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, and other members of the group, Mr Ini Udonwa, Dr Didi Opiuyo, Major A. Oputa, Mr Okon Ita, Mr Oyemah-Iwe Jahswill and Dr Uwamose Amadasun, called on all political blocs to set the record straight by allowing South-South to complete its tenure.

The meeting which was held at De Castle hotel Ewet housing estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state further stressed that south-south must complete its presidency tenure of 8 years for the purpose of fairness, justice and equity.

“The Group is committed to advocating for a President of South-South extraction come 2023.

“The Group accepts and stands by the position of leaders of the Southern and Middle Belt regions that no South-South person aspires to or accepts to become vice presidential candidate or chairman of any political party in the country.

“We are ill treated, to heal the wounds, the records must be put straight so that we will have that sense of belonging and have confidence that we are one Nigeria.

“The Group will reach out to and engage all the States of the Federation as well as ethnic nationalities, to look into this project.

On the ongoing constitution review, the group advised the National Assembly to create a platform which would give all Nigerians the opportunity to give themselves a people’s constitution that would allow for true federalism.

“Worried about the growing insecurity in the country, we urges the President, National Assembly, security agencies traditional and religious leaders and all Nigerians to set up efforts in addressing issues that have caused and ignited the current situation in order to secure the sovereignty of the country, while also protecting lives and property.”

It, however, urged the Federal Government to quickly inaugurate the substantive board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to avoid any crisis and to enable it achieve the goals and objectives for which it was established.