Ahead of the 2023 General elections, over 2,000 communities in the South East states have endorsed the aspiration of the former Chief Judge of Anambra state, Prof Peter Umeadi, to contest for presidency.
The group under the auspices of the Association of South East Past Presidents-General (ASEPP) made the endorsement at the weekend in his home town of the presidential aspirant, Nri in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State
2000 communities are from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
The endorsement ceremony attracted other interest groups from south-south and south-west geo-political zones.
The National President of ASEPP, Mazi Omife Omife, said the group was committed to “ensuring the emergence of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023 to make sure that the principles of equity, justice and fairness in Nigerian politics.
According to Omife the group having painstakingly analyzed the ambition of all top Igbo politicians, it came to the conclusion that none has declared interest in becoming Nigeria’s President, rather they were aiming at the Vice Presidential slot in their various political parties, which is not acceptable for Ndigbo in 2023 presidential race.
He said only Prof Umeadi, who is a Professor of Law at University of Nigeria Nuska, has shown genuine interest in contesting the Presidential election, hence their support and endorsement.
“ASEPP like other patriotic Pan-Igbo group has consistently decried the marginalization of Igbo in the Nigerian affairs especially as it concerns the leadership of the country. We have discovered also that part of the reasons for this was due to the inability of the Igbos, to present a candidate with the requisite credentials, antecedents and personal attributes, formidable enough to garner nationwide acceptability. It was after a painstaking search for a credible Igbo candidate that satisfies the above criteria that we found Professor Umeadi,” he said.
He called on the various political parties in the country to reach out to Umeadi for possible adoption, noting that any party that adopts him, will be sure of the support of the over 2000 communities in the Southeast at the next general elections.
“We also call on all Igbo, irrespective of party affiliation, to support our endorsement of Professor Umeadi and join hands to make Igbo proud in giving Nigeria the best President we never had after Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. All our members across the Southeast states and beyond are encouraged to spread the message of this endorsement in all the communities, to ensure total support for Prof Umeadi during the 2023 Presidential elections, ”he said.
Responding, Prof Umeadi described the endorsement as evident that Igbo are beginning to unite in the pursuit of their common good.
According to him, since the end of the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970, the promise to reintegrate the Igbo back into the Nigerian nation was not fulfilled thereby creating a lacuna.
