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As the February 25, 2023 presidential election draws closer, a former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Simon Okeke, has asked the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), and its presidential candidate, Prof. Peter Umeadi, to step down for the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, and support the later to win the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
Okeke gave the advice on Saturday, February 11, 2023, during a chat with newsmen in Nnewi, Anambra state.
He said, "I want to advice the Victor Oye led All Progressive Grand Alliance to come out open to declare support for Peter Obi of the LP, if not, I don't know what they're in the race for.
"Prof Peter Umeadi, who is the presidential flag bearer of APGA, is my bossom friend, and I respect him so much. But my candid advice to him is to come out and tell the world that he has stepped down for Peter Obi, who truly has the massive acceptance and support, capacity, credibility and the will power to take over mantle of leadership from President Mohammadu Buhari."
Okeke also gave reasons why the Southern and Middle Belt leaders endorsed Peter Obi as their sole candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
According to him, "The Southern and Middle Belt leaders unanimously agreed that Peter Obi of the LP is the one and sole candidate they will support to take up the mantle of leadership from May 29, 2023. It was an unanimous agreement, because, out of all those contesting, Obi has no rival. Among the 18 presidential candidates running, there are three or four worth mentioning; others are inconsequential, so to say.
"The southern and Middle Belt leaders have considered other major contenders like Atiku Abubakar of PDP; Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the APC, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP, and take position on Obi.
"The PDP which I co-founded had always believed in equity and justice in terms of distribution of political positions. The party had agreed that if presidency is in the north for 8 years, it will come South for 8 years. It was also agreed that whichever region the position comes to, it will be further micro-zoned to any state or zone where it would be considered equitable.
"Sometimes ago, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state hosted a meeting of PDP leaders, where it was agreed that power would rotate to the south in 2023. It was also agreed that presidency would be micro-zoned to the southeast. It was also agreed that no southerner would take vice presidential position in the 2023 election.
"But surprisingly, PDP later threw the slot open for people from all regions to purchase tickets for presidency. That was number one mistake that the party made. Again, for a person of Igbo stock, who hosted the PDP, where we made important decision, to still go ahead and pick vice presidential slot against our earlier agreement, was also regrettable and unfortunate."
The former PSC chairman contended that it cannot be acceptable in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria that a president of Fulani ethnic nationality will leave office after 8 years, and hand over to another president of Fulani ethnic group for another 8-year term.
He also argued that it is not fair for Bola Tinubu of the APC to claim that it is his turn to be present of Nigeria, when the same southwest, where he comes from had ruled the country as president for 8 years through Olusegun Obasanjo, and also took vice presidential position for 8 years under Osinbajo, in the current democratic dispensation; whereas Southeast has not taken any since 1999.