An Anambra lawmaker, Timothy Ifedioranma (APC-Njikoka – I), has called on APC national leader Bola Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to give up their presidential ambition for the South-East’s sake to produce the next Nigerian president.

Mr Ifedioranma told journalists in Awka that giving up their ambition was the way to toe the path of justice, equity and fairness.

“Both Tinubu and Vice President Osinbajo are citizens of this country, and they are qualified to contest and occupy that position in this election. But I urge them as elder statesmen to toe the path of justice, equity and fairness by giving up that position for a south-easterner to emerge,” he reasoned.

According to him, when it was the turn of the South-West after the annulment of the 1993 election and the death of MKO Abiola, the South-East supported the Yoruba.

“They had their fair share of being the president for eight years and vice-president for another eight years,” said Mr Ifedioranma. The South-East has not had its turn of being the president of this country, and it has sacrificed by supporting the North, the South-East and the South-South.”

“Why is it a problem for them to support the South-East?” said the Anambra legislator, questioning the South-West’s sense of fairness.

The lawmaker urged political parties to give their presidential tickets to the South-East and allow the electorate to decide the best candidate to become the president.

Mr Ifedioranma added that electing an Igbo as president in 2023 would quell the agitations for secession.

“Our people are angry that they are being marginalised and treated as second class citizens in a nation to which we belong and are part of,” he reasoned. “When there were agitations in the South-South, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was thrown up as vice president and the agitations stopped.

He said the country made a similar arrangement to pacify the South-West when Mr Abiola died in detention.

“For fairness, equity and justice, we need to deal with the structural problem by throwing up an Igbo man and all these agitations, demand for separation and insecurity will stop, and peace will be restored to Nigeria,’’ said Mr Ifedioranma stressed.

(NAN)