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It’s unfair for northerner to succeed Buhari, say Nwodo, others
Some top Igbo elites under the aegis of the Greater Nigerian Conference have said it will be unfair on the Igbo for another northerner to succeed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), when he leaves office after eight years.
This is as they urged the major political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, to zone their presidential tickets to the South, especially the South-East, for the sake of equity.
A former governor of Enugu State and ex-National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo; a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Senator Victor Umeh; veteran journalist and former senator representing Owerri Zone in the National Assembly, Chris Anyanwu; and Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation Committee, GNC, Dr Ferdinand Agwu, said this during a courtesy visit to the Punch Place, headquarters of Punch Nigeria Limited, on Friday.
Nwodo noted that for equity, fairness and the unity of Nigeria, the South-East should be allowed to take a shot at the presidency since other sub-regions in the South have had their turn.
According to him, zoning the ticket to the South-East would end the acrimony and dissension going on in the region.
Nwodo stated, “We are almost completing 30 years of each zone testing the Presidency. When we formed the PDP, we also entrenched in our constitution the doctrine of zoning and power rotation between the regions. The first zone that took the slot was southern Nigeria, and why we did so was very lucid.
“In 2019, we zoned it to northern Nigeria, and all those who contested the ticket were from the North. After Jonathan, it returned to the North, which is going to complete eight years now. So, by all known conventions we have adopted in Nigeria, the presidency should come to southern Nigeria. We don’t think it is right to change the goal post in the middle of the game.
“This has worked for us and has kept Nigeria united, reducing acrimony in the political space. It cannot be jettisoned at this time.
“Even though the PDP at its NEC meeting has thrown open the ticket, we will continue the advocacy that we have started that the ticket should be zoned to southern Nigeria, and when it does come to the region, those of us in the South-East are making a strong case that we are given the ticket because our brothers in the South-West have gone and we haven’t gone at all.”
He also urged the delegates of the major political parties to vote for candidates from the South-East in the forthcoming primaries.
Umeh said the decision of the political parties on zoning would be a determining factor for Nigeria’s survival.
According to him, if the APC and PDP field northern candidates after the primaries, Nigeria is finished.
Umeh stated, “We don’t want it to be that after the primaries that they will tell us that the presidential candidates of the two major political parties are from the North. If it happens, we are finished. Those of us from the South will bow our heads in shame.
“We are not going to be in Nigeria by force. They (northerners) cannot tell us, ‘Anything you like, you do’, and expect us to stick together. We have taken a detailed look at the situation in Nigeria; the way things are being run in the country does not promote the unity of the country.
“There is this attitude of some people feeling that they are entitled to head others, believing that they have the population and structural advantage. This makes them do whatever they like. What is important is that the country survives.
“For us to be able to stay together as a nation, we should be able to respect each other. We should be able to share power. We should share things that we have as Nigerians so that they will be available to everyone.
“You can see it already. You know what is happening in Nigeria that the North does not want to agree that southern Nigeria should produce the next President after Buhari. That is why they are all over the place trying to tell us things as though they know better than us. Coming to southern Nigeria, the first deployment of our energy will be to make the North respect the South that it is their turn after Buhari. The North should not be gunning for it. It will be unfair.
“When we get down home, we will look at how it has gone around the South and know what to do. It is obvious that it is pointing towards the South-East, which has not had a shot at the presidency.”
He also urged Nigerians to see the need to accommodate all parts of the country by supporting a candidate from the South-East for 2023.
On her part, Anyanwu said, “The future of Nigeria is in the hands of the political parties. They have options now to depart from the past and face a brighter future or to wallow in negative passions and decay into further darkness.
“I think that it makes good sense to rotate power to accommodate the different parts of the country. It is a way to manage our diversity and maintain peace within the polity.”
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Son of the late head of state and former Minister of Defence, Chief Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, in a letter of remembrance and solidarity written on behalf of the Aguiyi-Ironsi family to the Fajuyi family, marking the 60th anniversary of his death, said July 29, 2026, will be a solemn occasion to honour a soldier they described as “a war hero who offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for the unity and integrity of the nation.”
The family recalled that Lt Col Fajuyi, then Military Governor of the Western Region, made the ultimate sacrifice in 1966 when mutinous soldiers abducted him alongside Maj Gen Aguiyi-Ironsi in Ibadan during the military counter-coup.
They stated that Fajuyi, in a defining moment of conscience, chose honour over personal safety and refused to abandon his guest and superior, a decision the family said reflected the highest ideals of loyalty, integrity, and military brotherhood.
According to the statement, his action transformed him into a national martyr whose legacy continued to inspire unity, courage, and selfless service.
The Aguiyi-Ironsi family also expressed sympathy with the Fajuyi family, acknowledging the enduring pain of their loss, while praying for continued strength, comfort, and peace.
The statement further stated, “He did not run. He did not hide. He chose to stand. In that sacrificial decision lay the essence of his greatness.”
The family called on government institutions, military authorities, and custodians of national memory to ensure sustained recognition and support for the Fajuyi family, stressing that his sacrifice remained a national responsibility to remember and honour.
It urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from his life and death, noting that his legacy continues to challenge the nation to uphold unity, courage, honour, and selfless service.
Fajuyi was killed on July 29, 1966, during the military counter-coup in Ibadan alongside Aguiyi-Ironsi.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The emergence of Chief Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives has been described as a vindication of the fact that the Action People’s Party (APP ) represents the collective interests of the Nigerian masses.
Recall that recently, Ugochinyere was elected as the Minority Leader of the party in a keenly contested election of the Federal House of Representatives.
According to a statement by the Chairman Anambra state chapter of the APP Chief Chijioke Okeke, Ugochinyere had been consistent in offering himself as the voice of the people and that of the voiceless.
“It did not come to us as a surprise that our great leader High Chief Ugochinyere became the Minority leader of the Federal House of Representatives because he has always been consistent and focus towards providing himself as the only vent for the masses at the Green Chambers”
“We know his pedegre as a politician as well as a leader and he has remained focus in ensuring that the voiceless are heard and this is also a vindication of our party’s unflinching desire to provide a veritable platform in a democratic process”
Okeke further stated that the fifth columnists who had attempted to deregister the party have been put to shame adding that the party shall continue to champion the interests of the Nigerian people.
“They made failed attempt at deregistering our great party but they lost sight of the fact that the APP is firmely rooted on ground and has all that it takes to drive the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian populace and with this recent development our traducers have been put to shame and our party is on the path of further greatness “. Okeke noted .
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
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