Northern and Southern politicians and stakeholders have made the issue of which region of the country produces Buhari’s successor in 2023 a source of controversy in the polity.
While some Northern politicians are insisting that power should remain in the North, citing fears of handing power to a Southerner who may not have the will to keep Nigeria indivisible, their Southern counterparts, especially leaders from the South-East, are accusing Federal Government of harassment and witchhunt of credible South-Eastern leaders capable of succeeding Buhari in 2023.
Speaking during a lecture held in International Conference Centre Abuja, the Guest Speaker, Professor Gilbert Obi, alleged that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has made it a strategy to use the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to undermine the interest of the South-East.
He said: “EFCC’s harassment of Anyim Pius Anyim, Orji Uzor Kalu, Peter Obi, Rochas Okorocha are clear indications of North’s perpetual scheming and wild ambitions of keeping South-East out of power”
He stated that it is an act of political intimidation to accuse the major presidential hopefuls from the South-East of corruption while the majority of Northern politicians who have no second address are absolved of any wrongdoing.
He urged the Federal Government to desist from harassing, intimidating and blackmailing South-Eastern leaders with the EFCC
According to the erudite Professor ”It seems the EFCC has been mandated to bring down any Igbo leader who has what it takes to succeed Buhari. These leaders have faced the most crooked witch-hunt and inhumane treatment in the name of corruption by the same people who most often than not, have no second address except politics.
“Selective fight against corruption is the worst corruption ravaging the political and economic growth of Nigeria. When you look at Anyim Pius Anyim, Orji Uzor Kalu, Peter Obi, Rochas Okorocha, you will see they have capabilities and capacities in different forms to run this country. What is happening today is that the EFCC, being a tool of the Federal Government as against an independent institution as expected, is being used to propagate a wrong story.
“EFCC was established to have a mind of its own. It should not derail from its original plan and purpose of establishment. It should not be used as a tool to destroy perceived contenders.
“It is time to end the hatred against the South-East. You can not continue to eat on the same table; sleep in the same room; do a lot of things together with someone and still come out to say there is no trust on each other. What that simply means is that you are calling for separation. If you aren’t wanted or trusted to share things together, the best thing to do is to part ways,” Obi said.
