The North Will Not Decide The Next Presidency – Chief Maxi Ukuta

Posted by: Folamidavid in News, Politics Nov 27, 2019

2nd Republic politician and ex commissioner in old Anambra State, Chief Maxi Ukuta has reacted to some comments from Northern leaders, including Professor. Ango Abdullahi, that the presidency would stay in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

Even if Buhari has come out to say he is not interested in a 3rd term, some Northern leaders still believe the North is capable of holding onto power beyond 2023.

However, Chief Maxi believes this kind of statements will create disunity and injustice and he is shocked to see someone like Ango Abdullahi supporting such.

His words, “I am surprised at some of the statements being ascribed to Ango Abdullahi. One would expect that with his age and level of experience he would be a jolly patriot. But if he feels in his conscience that after all these years of presidency rotating between the North and West that it is right to say it will not come to South-East, I wish him good luck. Ango Abdullahi and some other Northerners are not God to decide the next presidency.”

“Let me tell you, I don’t have anything against Igbo presidency or disposed about Igbo presidency. Not too long ago, we had too many of our eminent sons and daughters in very sensitive positions of government. As you are now talking, we have no impact on infrastructure or human development of our people.

“What I am passionate about is the development of our people more especially infrastructure and human development. That is my concern but I can’t tell you that by 2023, the presidency will come to South-East, we must put our house together. There must be unity among our people. They have shown very bad aspect of our people to other Nigerians.

“When a presidential candidate picked an Igbo son to be his running mate, I expected that we team together and work with him not to castigate him. With this type of attitude, we are going nowhere.”

“If I have to be honest with you, what the South-East requires is justice. I remember a lecture by the great Zik of Africa in 1972 at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, with the title: “Unity with diversity”, where he told us that there are greater advantages when we remain as one. What is disturbing us is definitely the injustice.

“The answer to your question is that I prefer all of us being in a united Nigeria but justice must be the key word. The advantages of being united are enormous.”

“I tell you something: this is a mere academic exercise. Nobody has gone back to look into the causes of the civil war. There is need for that. It was only General Gowon that Nigerians praise on his outfit that went to Asaba to say sorry for what happened to them.

“But to me, it should be a national approach where we as Nigerians will say to the Biafrans that a lot of injustice has been meted out to you and say, we are very sorry and promise that we will all work hand-in-hand to make sure that such thing will never happen again. Not only in Asaba but also other parts of the country that injustice has been meted on.

“It is true that some of us participated in the war but never know what was the cause of the war; and how they influenced General Gowon to allow the war erupt. It would be interesting if those alive now that participated in influencing Gowon tell us what their motive was to allow us build a better Nation and stop all these agitations here and there.”