Why an Igbo man should be President of Nigeria in 2023

Posted by Felix Okoli on Saturday June 22, 2019 at 21:52:0:

Nigeria has the biggest population in Africa but there are many tribes that make up the nation with 3 of major ones being Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani.

After the return of Democracy to Nigeria in 1999, the first Nigerian to become President was Olusegun Obasanjo who was a Yoruba man from the South Western part of Nigeria. He served as the President for a whole 8 years spanning from 1999 to 2007. So Yorubas had it for 8 years under Obasanjo.

After Obasanjo's administration, he handed over to another man from the North Central part who was named Umaru Yar'adua and he was President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 i.e 3 years. His tenure was completed by Jonathan Goodluck from the South South part of Nigeria as he served the remaining last year of Yaradua's tenure and another 4 years of his own after he won an election to do so in 2010. Jonathan's administration ended in 2015. So the Hausa/Fulani and Niger Delta had it for a total of another 8 years. Jonathan is from the Ijaw ethnic group.

In 2015, Muhmammad Buhari won the presidential election on the platform of a relatively new and opposition party and he became president of Nigeria. He served his first tenure from 2015 to 2019. Buhari is from the same state as Umaru Yaradua making the Hausa/Fulani and North Central hold the office for an additional 4 years.

In 2019, President Buhari has won the election again and he is very likely to remain President till 2023 when a new president will be chosen.

If you study the above history of presidents Nigeria has had since 1999, you'd notice that it has somehow being rotated between the North and South as well as among the different ethnic groups or tribes such as the Yorubas, Hausa/Fulanis and Niger Delta for a total period of 20 years.

During these 20 years, the Igbo tribe has not been given the opportunity to become President by the major political parties in Nigeria as it has gradually been rotated region wise and tribe wise.

So regionally, we know it has moved from the
South West > North Central > South South > North Central and along ethnic lines it has moved from Yorubas >Hausa/Fulanis > Ijaw >Hausa/Fulanis.

Hence, as at May 2019, persons from 3 ethnic groups and 3 geo-political regions of Nigeria had served as President for at least 4 years since 1999 with the exclusion of he Igbo ethnic group from the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

In 2023, it would only be justified and equitable if Nigerians are given to opportunity to chose a President from other regions and ethnic groups such that the Igbos would be included.

Elections in Nigeria are mostly decided by the political parties in the country and as at 2018, there were only 2 major political parties such as the APC and the PDP. The parties would first choose a presidential candidate before presenting them to the public for people to decide.

It would be a totally unjustified and biased approach if those political parties decide to keep choosing candidates that would be from regions or ethnic groups that have already had their opportunity to serve as President. In, 2023, I'm expecting an Igbo man to be President.