The former Presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention, NRC in the June 12, 1993 election, Bashir Othman Tofa has died.
According to a source close to the family, the Elder Statesman passes on in the early hours of Monday after a protracted illness.
Tofa had contested against his opponent, Social Democratic Party, SDP Presidential candidate, late Chief Mashood Abiola in the election which was annulled by the former Nigeria Military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.
The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has said the South-East has the right to produce Nigeria’s next president because it understands the country better.
Ikpeara was addressing State House correspondents after a visit to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in Abuja on Thursday when he let this out.
“I think that the southeasterners have a right to take a shot at the presidency of Nigeria and I dare say that our qualification starts from the fact that we understand and know Nigeria better than the other states of Nigeria.
“I dare say, this is my opinion. We go everywhere, we are everywhere, we invest everywhere, we are Pan-Nigerian people,” he said.
“Today, a lot of people are afraid of Sambisa, but for an Igbo man, Sambisa is a business opportunity,” he added.
Ikpeazu added that the next president of Nigerian must possess a Pan-Nigerian mentality with understanding of all the contending interests and influences in the country.
“The question of Nigerian president of southeast extraction is a national question that required negotiation, discussion and conversation with all parts of this country and I am least qualified to determine what happens in 2023.
“I also want to spend my time supporting the incumbent president to do his time and do his best while we wait for what will begin to unfold. So, these are my views about the presidency.
“In the first place, anybody who wants to aspire to the highest post of the presidency must have what I regard as Pan-Nigerian mentality. He must be somebody who has an understanding of all the contending interests and influences in this country. He must understand that we are a country of diversity with the different persuasions, traditions, cultures and religions. All of these must be put in a place where you can understand and respect them.
“That individual must also be somebody who is ready to accommodate the youths of this country without necessarily throwing away the experienced ones, he must be able to find a labyrinth of all the interests.
“He must also reflect an extreme women agenda. He must be investor-friendly and an individual who understands the nuances of economics, the relationship between international politics and economy. The person must be strong enough to face up to the issue on the front burner, which is security.
“He must be able to create jobs, he must be able to not deploy the kinetic device all the time, he must able to also listen and negotiate peace.
If anything should happen to Igboho, we will hold FG responsible —- Lawyer
A political pressure group, Senator Godswill Akpabio For Common Good, SGACG, has urged the Minister, Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to join in the 2023 presidential race.
The group also called on Nigerians to assist them in persuading the Uncommon Transformer to declare interest in the presidency as from the year 2022.
The call was contained in a Christmas message issued by the group and endorsed by its National Coordinator, Dr Jibril Tafida, in Abuja.
According to the group, “We are a group of volunteers, united under the banner of Senator Godswill Akpabio for Common Good( SGACG). We heartily rejoice with all Nigerians on this occasion of Christmas and express our gratitude to God for sparing our lives to witness this special day.
“All said and done, we wish to convey an important message on this special day:
” We call on Nigerians to join hands with our group in urging the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, to aspire for political office in 2023. The year 2022 should offer a special opportunity for Nigerians from all walks of life to join the SGACG in persuading the Minister to actively participate in the general elections of 2023.
“Regardless of ethno-regional or religious affinities, Nigerians should come together and speak with one voice and rally round Senator Godswill Akpabio, as nationalist, with goodwill all over the nation to aspire for a higher elective office in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
“His sterling records of achievements during his sojourn as Akwa Ibom State governor and his legislative activism as Senate Minority Leader have made him well-cut out for a higher elective office, especially that of the President. We won’t rest on our oars until we successfully convince Senator Akpabio to join the 2023 race and leave his footprints on the sands of Nigeria’s democratic history.
“The time is ripe for Nigerian men and women of good conscience to join million others in the SGACG train, to convince Akpabio to step out for higher national service; because he has all it takes in terms of leadership abilities and top-level connections at the domestic and international levels.
“Lastly, we urge Nigerians to use the spirit of Christmas as an opportunity for promoting tolerance, love for one another and brotherhood beyond other related barriers”.
2023 Presidency: We’ll sue you to court if you fail to contest, Group tells Tinubu
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