2023: Igbo Presidency ‘ll Unify Nigeria, Says Clergy

Amby Uneze in Owerri

The Apostolic Administrator of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna, has revealed that Nigeria needs to elect an Igbo to be president of the country in 2023 in order to have genuine reconciliation of all parts of the country to surmount her lingering problems.

According to him, Igbos deserve to be the president of Nigeria because they have helped to build the country in many ways and some leaders from the West and North support the Igbo becoming the president of the country in 2023 as such a move would cement the unity of the nation.

“Igbos deserve to be president of Nigeria because they have helped to build the country in many ways. Many leaders have said that if we should have one Nigeria; let Igbos become the president in 2023 otherwise we would continue to have a skewed one Nigeria,” he said.

Obinna, who is now the Archbishop emeritus of Owerri Archdiocese  and would be celebrating his 50th priestly ordination in June this year, said that some people who feel they are the owners of the country still believe in ethnic and clannish interest, adding that not until such sentiments are resolved, the equation and unity of Nigeria would still remain a mirage.

He also stated that restructuring the country before the 2023 general elections are conducted would bring the best for the country. According to him, until Nigeria resolves the problem of hatred, learns to forgive one another and most especially restructures the system, we would still be backward.

“What is happening to Nigeria is a reflection of hatred and disunity. I will continue to urge for restructuring before the next election so that we would have a more equitable and fraternal understanding,” he stated.

He wished Nigeria could be likened to the Catholic Bishops of Nigerian Conference (CBCN) which recently elected newly appointed Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji as the new president of CBCN. He noted that Ugorji, who replaced him as the Archbishop of Owerri was elected the president of CBCN based on principles of equity and fairness which the Catholic Church stands for.

“If the Catholic Church were to be Nigeria, we would have gotten a president because we are dealing with Northerners, Southerners, Westerners and Easterners in the CBCN. We have been able to resolve all these clannish or ethnic sentiments which we found ourselves in the Nigerian political space.

“So it is because of the power inequation that is making Nigeria unable to resolve the ethnic and clannish interests. What is keeping the presidency of Nigeria not coming to the Igbos is because there are those who claim to be the owners of this country, and that is a reflection of hatred and disunity in the country,” the Archbishop said.

The cleric cum social critic crusader used the opportunity of the press briefing to highlight some of the activities lined up for the upcoming jubilee celebration and convocation lectures lined up to mark his 50 years of being a Catholic priest scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2022.

He said the jubilee convocation lectures with the theme: ‘Sharing and Advancing Jesus’ Saving Light among us would have three principal lectures to be delivered by Most Rev. Augustine Echema, Bishop of Aba diocese; Dr. Theodore Osanakpo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); and Rev. Fr. Luke Ijezie.

According to him, the jubilee celebration would precede the installation of the new Archbishop Ugorji on June 23, which would finally mark his retirement to continue to prayers, reflection, study, writing and some limited pastoral work.