2023: Why South-East Should Produce Next President – Edwin Clark

Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark has said that the South-East deserves to produce the next President in 2023.

Clark opined that the South-East should produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023 in the interest of fairness and equity, asking other regions to support the Igbo presidency.

The former Minister of Information made this known when he received Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State in a consultation visit at his Abuja residence on Thursday.

Clark stated that the Igbos would abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) it served for sixteen years if the party fails to zone its presidency to the SouthEast.

He said the Ebonyi governor has all the qualities to be the next president, adding that his accomplishment in Ebonyi makes him one of the strong contenders.

He said: “When I say I want a president of Nigeria of Igbo extraction, I do not mean someone from Delta or Rivers State or anywhere else safe from a pure southeast Igbo President.

“My preferred choice is Igbo. So, my son, I have heard you, I have prayed for you, whatever you deserve, God will grant it for you.

“When you defected to APC, I asked why, we all are fighting this cause but if the PDP, we the Igbo served 100% abandoned the Igbos, then we all will abandon the PDP, I have told them already.

“You have all the qualities and God will protect you and grant you the grace to achieve all your desires in good health and long life.”

In his remark, Umahi said the country needs a bit of a business-minded person who also has gone through the nature of politics and someone who can engage with people.

He commended Clark for his blessings and assured him that he would turn around the fortunes of Nigeria if given the opportunity.

“I believe that if God shows mercy on this country, He will not bring up a pure professional politician to be the president of Nigeria. Nigeria needs a bit of a business-minded person who also has gone through our nature of politics, and Nigeria needs someone who can engage very properly.

“Without engagement, without finding what are the people’s problems, why do you do what you are doing, and without fairness, equity, and justice it will be very difficult for our country to unite.

“What we do not know is that both good leaders and bad leaders all come from God. When God is happy with the people, He brings good leaders to them but when He is angry with the people, He gives them bad leaders. So, when people castigate leaders, it is God they are castigating so, we turn our eyes unto God that God needs to show mercy on us,” he said.