South East group and members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has sent an open request to two South East governors over their comments on 2023 Presidency.

The two governors, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and David Umahi of Ebonyi State got the open request in a statement issued on Sunday by the Convener of South-East APC Integrity Group, and National Coordinator of South-East APC Presidency Project 2023, Dr. Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu.

Dr. Jideofo-Ogbuagu observed that “It has been a week of bewildering statements by both of you – with Governor Uzodinma reportedly saying that the South-East is not interested in producing President of Nigeria and Governor Umahi reportedly praying God to give to Nigeria a man like Buhari to succeed President Buhari in 2023!

“Both reported statements came almost on the same day (9th September 2021) that President Buhari visited Imo State ostensibly to commission projects and attend a townhall meeting of a specially invited small audience, with both of you present, but ended up making statements that require interpretation and clarification.

“A statement by President Buhari that needs interpretation and understanding is that Ndigbo control the Nigerian economy, which is debatable. But even if it was true, why did it become necessary for the President to say it at all, especially during his Imo State visit?”, Dr. Jideofo-Ogbuagu queried.

He went on to further ask, “Was that a hint that since Ndigbo already controlled the economy, we should not seek to control the politics as well, a hint that both of you would – in those separate bewildering statements – seek to spell out and propagate?”

The statement added, “We hereby request to meet with you gentlemen for us to restate that it is either President of Nigeria of South-East extraction in 2023 or nothing, and that no real and credible South-Easterner can be like Buhari in leadership of Nigeria

“Unless Governor Umahi didn’t have a real and credible South-Easterner in mind when he made his own reported statement.

“We hope that the courtesy visit we seek could be scheduled at any neutral venue of your choice at the very earliest convenience of Your Excellencies.

“Before you hopefully honour us with your invitation, let us quickly remind you that a body like South-East APC Integrity Group was established in June 2015 purposely to growth APC in the South-East preparatory for our bid for 2023 Presidency of Nigeria, which was why we warmly welcomed both of you into the party years later and at great costs to ourselves.

“Let us also remind you that a large Igbo stakeholders’ meeting – after both of them had become APC governors – held at Owerri, where interest of Ndigbo in the 2023 presidency was discussed and agreed”, Dr. Jideofo-Ogbuagu said.

The statement concluded, saying, “Finally, let us remind you that APC is not the only party in Nigeria and that Ndigbo will decide on any of the existing parties to pursue our interest in 2023 Presidency.

“Just as many joined APC to actualize President of Nigeria of South-East extraction, they are equally at liberty to migrate to another party platform for the same objective.

“If APC does not pick a real and credible South-Easterner as its 2023 presidential flagbearer, which is the party’s only realistic option to retain the Presidency after this Buhari administration, the remaining goodwill APC still enjoys in the South-East and many other parts of Nigeria would evaporate.

“We trust that Your Excellencies would not want 50 million voters for presidential candidate of South-East extraction to cast their votes for another party in the 2023 general election.

“We thank both of you for your usual enthusiasm and look forward to your invitation to us to meet with you. We can confidently predict that our interaction would be mutually beneficial”, the South East groups stated.