NATIONAL: Nobody from South East has shown interest in 2023 presidential race under APC — Osoba

A CHIEFTAIN of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aremo Olusegun Osoba, has said that nobody from the South East has signified interest in running for president under the platform of the party.

“As far as I am concerned nobody, and I say it categorically, has told me that the Igbo or the easterner wants to run for the presidency, all I read are on the pages of the newspaper,” Osoba disclosed during an interview on AriseTv’s ‘The Morning Show’ programme today.

He added further that “nobody in the southeast has consulted me and I must say I am a reasonable elder in the party. Nobody from the southeast has contacted me to lobby or even say that we are interested.”

“As an elder in the party, nobody from the South-East has contacted or consulted me to lobby, to even say they are interested,” Osoba affirmed.

“I recall, I was very strong in the campaign of MKO Abiola in 1992. We went round the whole of the east. He and I went to see Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in his house, CC Onoh, Mbakwe, we went round the whole of the east to lobby them that we are interested, nobody from the east has contacted me.”

The APC chieftain revealed that there is a gentleman agreement within the party that the south should produce the next presidential candidate.

Osoba also stated that National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, has every right to contest the 2023 presidential election.

“Of course, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an individual has the right to put himself forward, we did not zero in on an individual. It’s Bola Tinubu’s right to put himself forward. My attitude is that we need to come together to speak with one voice and if we (the southwest) want to get the presidency, let us all ensure the southwest become a force to get the presidency.”