Apex Igbo Social-cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has declared that a rotational presidency without restructuring the polity will amount to window-dressing.
It also declared that Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has the constitutional right and choice to be president for a tenure if he wins.
The spokesman of Ohanaeze, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP in Enugu.
Ohanaeze has been clamouring for a restructured Nigeria in which the federating units or regions control their resources to develop their areas.
Ezechi emphasised the need for the centre to be unbundled to enable the federating units to have more financial, economic, and political autonomy.
The Ohanaeze national publicity secretary stressed the need for the government to be closer to the people, hence the need for the unbundling of the centre.
“Rotational presidency without restructuring of the polity will only amount to window-dressing.
‘”The centre needs to be unburdened to enable the federating units to have more financial, economic/political autonomy, by virtue of having governance closer to the people,” he stated.
On Obi’s choice for tenure, he noted that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not into partisan politics or an ally of any political party, but pointed out that any other Nigerian has the constitutional right to vie for any elective office within the provisions of the constitution if he or she so wishes.
He noted that the question of a second term is immaterial because the 1999 Constitution, as amended, does not provide for automatic eight-year tenure.
“What the constitution provides for is a four-year term and a maximum of two terms.
Hence, if Peter Obi prefers to go for a term because he feels it is enough for him to implement his programme, that is absolutely his constitutional right and choice.”
