A former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Simon Okeke, believes that any Igbo person who opposes a president of Igbo extraction should have his or her DNA examined.
According to him, it is politically appropriate for Nigerians, particularly from the South-East, to rally behind an Igbo candidate to succeed President Bola Tinubu.
Okeke’s comments come following the inauguration of various support groups for incumbent President Tinubu, on the one hand, and the several efforts by opposition coalition forces, including Mr. Peter Obi, to wrest power, on the other hand.
Okeke, during an interview with journalists at his residence in Amichi, Anambra State, expressed confidence in Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, describing him as capable of transforming Nigeria if elected.
According to him, Obi’s prospects remain strong regardless of shifting political alliances, including any potential collaboration between the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okeke also criticized President Tinubu’s recent trip to the United Kingdom, where a £746 million financing agreement was signed to modernize Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos.
He argued that the deal, backed by UK Export Finance, failed to reflect the interests of the South-East region, noting the absence of similar development plans for ports in the region, including Port Harcourt.
The elder statesman urged South-East governors to intensify advocacy for standard-gauge railway projects in the region, noting that similar infrastructure already exists in parts of the South-West and the North.
He stressed that the South-East must not be sidelined in national rail development and questioned why natural resources, such as gas from Anambra, should fund projects outside the region without corresponding local benefits.
Okeke specifically called on Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo to lead regional efforts for equitable development.
He commended Soludo’s achievements in road infrastructure and ongoing security improvements but urged him to collaborate with other South-East governors to address broader concerns of marginalization.
