The quest for unity of purpose towards achieving presidency of Igbo extraction in 2023, suffered another setback yesterday, as South East governors and Igbo political leaders shunned a bipartisan meeting of major political parties in the zone.
The second of such this year, and scheduled for Enugu, involved the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and others.
It was convened by former Abia State governor and Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; erstwhile Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; one-time President of the Senate and ex- Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Nkeiru Onyejeocha.
The meeting, which was to be chaired by a foremost South East traditional ruler and graced by governors their predecessors, ministers, as well as past and current senate presidents and speakers and members of House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly, could not hold yesterday, following the non-presence of leaders, including the governors.
Save for the host governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, his colleagues boycotted the parley with no reasons.
However, Anyim waited till 4.00pm before departing after an instruction that the reporters covering the event be dismissed
A source, nevertheless confided in The Guardian: “Suspicion among the leaders on the motive of those behind the meeting had dealt a bad blow on the arrangement. Though there were wider consultations before now, it appears there is no trust among them.
“There are stories about some members trying to use it (meeting) to feather their vice presidential aspiration in 2023. And knowing that there are also governors in the zone nursing a similar interest, it will be difficult to agree. That is the issue.”
