As the 2023 presidential election draws close, a socio political group, the South East Coalition For Good Governance, SECG, has commended Northern Governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC for exhibiting genuine patriotism by backing power shift to the Southern part of the country.
SECG however took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for conceding its presidential ticket to the North, via the emergence of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as its presidential flag-bearer.
In a statement signed by its President, Emmanuel Okwu, in Enugu and made available to newsmen, the group said “the APC Northern Governors have written their names on gold by responding to the mood of the nation, which clearly demands a President from the South, after the expiration of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We salute the courage and display of statesmanship by APC Northern governors. We commend their commitment to the unity, progress and development of the country.
“This singular act by the APC Northern Governors deserves accolade from men and women of goodwill.They are men worthy of honour.
“They have shown that they cherish the unity of the country and concur to the fact that power should be rotated between the North and the South in the country, as a basis to preserve cohesion among the people of the two regions. History will never forget them.
The group called on the All Progressives Congress, to elect one of the presidential aspirants from the South East zone at its forthcoming Presidential primary.
“We call on the APC to adopt one of the presidential aspirants from the South East as its consensus Presidential candidate. In the spirit of fairness and equity, the South East deserves the presidential ticket of the party, being the only zone in the Southern part of the country, which has not produced the nation’s President in more than five decades.
SECG however lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for “displaying desperation to clinch power by neglecting zoning and acceding its presidential ticket to the North. This implies there is no hope for the South East in the PDP
“The PDP, by electing Atiku Abubakar, a Northerner, as its presidential candidate, exhibited disregard to the genuine agitation for power shift from the North to the South after the end of the tenure of President Buhari
“This shows the PDP is only desperate for power and will compromise the unity of the country to realize or actualize such desperation” the statement concluded.