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Amid clamour for the presidency to be zoned to the South East, Billionaire businessman and renowned philanthropist, Arthur Eze says only God can make an Igbo citizen become the president of Nigeria.
Eze told journalists in Ukpo, Anambra during a church service on Sunday that for the presidency to be of Igbo extraction, they must love themselves.
He advised the people of his region not to crave for a President of Igbo extraction but one who would champion their interest irrespective of his tribe.
“I would prefer someone who has conscience; somebody who will remember me. I don’t care where you come from,” said the renowned philanthropist.
“For the Igbo to be President, they must love themselves. Do they love themselves? The North is very kind. If you go to northern Nigerian, you will see churches everywhere,” he said.
“There are churches in Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Abuja and others yet they say there is hatred. Do we (Igbo) love ourselves?
“Only God can make an Igbo man President. We shall pray to God to find an Igbo man who has character to help people.
“I went to the north, they didn’t know who I was. They gave me $12 million for the construction of Kano TV in 1980. I didn’t have one naira then. It was the same thing in Katsina, Borno and Kaduna. Then, they put me in the oil business.”
Recall the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina had quoted Eze to have described the President as a “man of the moment for the Igbo and the entire South East”.
“President Buhari has demonstrated uncommon goodwill towards the people of the South East geopolitical zone, and should now rest assured of our unalloyed support and loyalty,” he said, according to Adesina in his article titled ‘Buhari & S’East: Arthur Eze nails it’, published on Friday.
Commenting on the possibility of having an Igbo president in 2023 on Sunday, Imo State Govenor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma said what should bother the Igbo is “a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction and not Igbo President of Nigeria”.
He added, “The South-East is part of Nigeria, South-East leaders exhibit all qualities and capabilities for good governance and as such believe that the APC as the ruling party in Nigeria will make the right decision at the appropriate time.”
