The South-East must embrace other geopolitical zones in politics to get its fair share of Nigeria, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC- Ebonyi North) said in Abakaliki on Monday.

Mr Nwebonyi, the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Water Resources vice-chairman, told a news conference that the zone must play politics that would accommodate it fairly at every election cycle.

“Last general elections, the South-East voted for the Labour Party. The presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi, is a good man, but the South-East alone cannot make itself president of Nigeria,” he said. “We must have the support of other geopolitical zones to win the presidency.”

He admonished them to play politics that will favour the region at the national level, stating, “The zone has paid its dues and should not lose out in the scheme of things.”

“In the ministerial list, some geopolitical zones got nine slots; some got eight; others got seven, but the South-East got only five.

“When the South-East agitated for more ministerial slots, it was reminded that it voted for the Labour Party,’’ Mr Nwebonyi said.

He commended his constituents covering Izzi, Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas for voting for him and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the 2023 general elections.

The senator also commended the constituents for voting for Governor Francis Nwifuru at the elections and urged them to continue supporting the APC-led administration in the state and Nigeria.

He expressed worry at the high rate of unemployment in the country and promised to introduce programmes to enhance youth employment and empowerment to address the problem in his constituency.

“We are going to tackle unemployment. I graduated 16 years ago, but some of my mates are still looking for jobs till now,’’ Mr Nwebonyi lamented.

(NAN)