Senator highlights how south-east can win presidency

The Southeast must embrace other geopolitical zones in politics to get its fair share of Nigeria, Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC- Ebonyi North) said in Abakaliki on Monday.

Nwebonyi, vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Water Resources told a news conference that the zone must play politics that would accommodate it fairly in the scheme of things at every election cycle.

“Last general elections, the Southeast voted for Labour Party. The presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi is a good man but the Southeast alone cannot make itself president of Nigeria.

“We must have the support of other geopolitical zones to win the presidency.

“This is why we must begin to play politics that will favour the Southeast at the national level because the zone has paid its dues and should not lose out in the scheme of things.

“In the ministerial list, some geopolitical zones got nine slots; some got eight slots; others got seven slots, but the Southeast got five slots only.

“When the Southeast agitated for more ministerial slots, it was reminded that it voted for Labour Party,’’ Nwebonyi said.

He commended his constituents covering Izzi, Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas for voting for him and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 2023 general elections.

The senator also commended the constituents for voting for Gov. Francis Nwifuru at the elections and urged them to continue to support the APC-led administration in the state and in Nigeria.

He expressed worry at the high rate of unemployment in the country and promised to introduce programmes to enhance youth employment and empowerment to address the problem in his constituency.

“We are going to tackle unemployment. I graduated 16 years ago, but some of my mates are still looking for jobs till now,’’ Nwebonyi lamented.