*As Okorie begs for Nnamdi Kalu’s release
By Marcel Agunze
President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that he has remained fair to the people of South east in his administration, irrespective of the people rejected him during the 2019 general election
The president reiterated that the poor results he recorded in the South East in 2019 polls, has not in any wa6 stopped his administration from taking development to the zone, stressing that his government has built roads, built the second Niger bridge, and has continued to try to maintain security the in the zone.
President Buhari who was represented by his Special Adviser Media, Mr Femi Adesina, at the presentation of the book, “APGA and the Igbo Question” written by Chief Chekwas Okorie, stated that his administration would do its best for every part of the country, since he sees “Nigeria is one nation under God.”
The President described Chekwas Okorie was a man who saw far ahead and aligned with him prior to 2019 elections, adding that he visited him with some illustrious Igbo sons who pledged to support him so that the nature of politics in the region would change.
While appreciating the author of the book, Adesina said, “Chief Dr Chekwas Okorie”, Mr President began, that was the man who wants the best for his people. He saw far ahead and aligned with us towards the 2019 polls.
“He tried to bring his people to our side, he visited me here with some illustrious Igbo sons and pledged to rally the Igbo behind me in 2019 so that the nature of politics and political alliances in the region will change. I appreciated and still appreciate his wise vision. Did Chief Okorie succeed? That is for historians to decide after studying the result of the polls.”
“The results are out there and when we study, it would help us to know whether what Chief Okorie wanted for the Igbo nation was what came to pass, irrespective of the results we recorded, see what we have done in that part of the country.
“We have build roads, we have built the second Niger bridge, we still try to maintain security there and many others. We will do our best for every part of the country. We are one nation under God,” Adesina quoted the President as saying.
In his submission, Minister of Labour and presidential aspirant on the platform of the APC, Dr Chris Ngige, said he was dramatis personae in the book authored by Chief Okorie, adding that though he was in the PDP then, APGA was formed to offer protection to Igbo representatives at the National Assembly.
He blamed the Nigeria’s elite for inflicting untold hardship on the people in their quest to amass excessive wealth at the expense of the people.
Speaking in his opening remarks Okorie, who is the founder and first National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), debunked the claim among some Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari has a morbid hatred for the Igbo ethnic group.
“It is not true that Buhari hates the Igbo, At a time, he made Chuba Okadigbo and Chief Edwin Umezuoke his running mates and now, see little me, he sent his Special Adviser to come for this occasion.”
Okorie who is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) called on President Buhari to use this special presidential dispensation and his prerogatives as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria to grant Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other prisoners of conscience release from detention.
Chief Okorie noted that his appeal was “made with every sense of patriotism and responsibility adding “I strongly believe that the insecurity in certain sections of Nigeria, especially, the South East and the South South will be reduced by a great extent.”
Also speaking, former PDP Vice chairman South East, Chief Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, who represented the President Ohanaeze socio-cultural group, Prof George Obiozor, urged the PDP to zone the presidency to the South as a matter of conscience.
Chairman of the occasion and one time chairman of the Police Service Commission, Simon Okeke, expressed shock that APC which does not have rotation in its constitution had zoned the presidency to the South while the PDP had thrown it open. He stated that with the move, the PDP is open to disaster.
