A former governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has said vision, and not ethnicity, should determine the next President of Nigeria.
He spoke against the background of Northern leaders insisting that the presidency remains in the North while some are saying power should shift to the South in 2023.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Okorocha said ethnicity or religion should have no basis in politics as poverty knows no tribe or religion.
“I believe that power must be given to the person that has the vision irrespective of where he comes from because tribe cannot put food on the table of common man or guarantee security,” he said.
The former governor, while admitting that the North had the population to determine who emerges as President, said there must be collective interest in moving the country forward, rather than sentiments.
He added, “As you see the politics of today, everybody looks up to the North because it has the large chunk of votes to determine who becomes the President of Nigeria.
“One good thing I know of the North, especially the Islamic world, is that a good Muslim is a man of conscience who believes in equity, justice and unity.
“That is the only hope for anybody who wants to contest from the southern region. The North can say for the purpose of equity and not showing tribal and religious differences, that the North, having served as President, let somebody from the South be the President.”
Okorocha stressed that other regions needed the support of the North if power must shift.
“The Igbo alone cannot make themselves the President. The quicker they come together and start shoring up support from the North and other parts of the region, the better it is to realise the dream.
“I know we shall come up to that point one day when who becomes the President would not be based on tribe or religion. For as long we keep promoting tribal and religious sentiments, we are not getting it right.
“We need somebody who can move this country forward. What Nigeria needs now is that man who would emerge as President and continue with unity of Nigerians just as we see ourselves during football matches.”
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