2023: EK Clark Rejects Jonathan, Insists On Southeast

Elderstatesman, Pa EK Clark has spurned agitations of a Goodluck Jonathan comeback insisting on Monday that the presidency should be zoned to the Southeast.

Speaking at ‘The Greater Nigeria Conference, GNG, with the theme ‘’Together We Can,’’ held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Clark said that the nation could still be a united entity “if we have a government that will give autonomy to regional governments”.

In his address, titled “The Nigeria I knew”, Chief Clark said Nigeria was a country with 36 states, stating that if five of the legs were broken, then the country could not stand.

Lamenting that at almost 95, he is still worried about Nigeria, the Ijaw leader said “you cannot marginalize and oppress a people, and expect them not to speak out.”

He said: “Nigeria has been independent for about 62 years now but before then, Nigeria became self-governing in 1957. Any child in any part of the country, when he or she grows to 17, 18, 19 and becomes independent of his parents and is able to reason for himself, has the right to ask whether he is truly part of this country when all that he sees is discrimination, hatred, injustice, unfairness in the offices, in the streets, at workplaces and even in institutions of the government. It is pathetic.

“We can no longer describe Nigeria as a pot anymore because we now have 36 legs and if any part of these 36 legs gets broken, the country will not be at ease and that is exactly what we are experiencing today. The young ones who belong to the disadvantaged legs are fighting and people are pretending not to know why.

“What right does the antagonist have that the protagonist does not have?  What right do you have that the man you are accusing of disturbing you does not have? The reality is that the man who wants to destroy and the one who is preventing the destruction have equal rights.

Why Southeast should have the presidency – EK Clark

“Why the South-East should have Presidency is because the children from that geopolitical zone are asking whether their own leg is k-legged, or deformed or broken, thus resulting in the inability of their zone to present the President.

For the information of all of us, if five or more legs out of the 36 legs of the pot are broken, definitely, the pot cannot stand.

“I also hear the argument of some people that the North-East has not produced a Head of State. This is not true. The South-West, South-South and the North, have produced persons who have headed the country, including the North-East.

‘Balewa was North-East’

“Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was from the North-East. He headed this country as the first and only Prime Minister thus far, for nine years, from August, 1957 to 15th July, 1966. Let me say this, no one has a better right over Nigeria than any of us.

“Who says the military Heads of State who ruled this country for about 30 years are not Nigerians? It will be dishonest and insincere for anyone to suggest that that period should be ignored. We cannot because that was the period when most of the political, structural and administrative decisions, such as creation of states, creation of local government areas/councils, the revenue allocation systems, and even the framing of all the Constitutions, from the 1979 Constitution to the 1999 Constitution, which we are currently using, were made.

‘’During the civil war, one out of the original three legs of the 3-legged pot was broken due to the civil war. For that reason, the South-East, which is the broken leg, has been marginalised in the political equation of Nigeria.

“The people of the South-East deserve to have a sense of belonging in this country. So, the clamour for a president for the South-East geo-political zone is supported by me. Today, with no other tangible reason for still wanting to hold on to power, some people are talking about merit and competence.

‘’To these people, my response is simple, we must all woo and win one another because every part of this country has a beautiful bride and every part has a handsome groom. It will not cost money or anything to make Nigeria better.

‘’All that is required is for us to demonstrate reciprocal respect, love and understanding to one another. Let us do what is right; let us accommodate one another, and be fair to one another. Let all other Nigerians support a South-Eastern candidate for President, come 2023.

‘’I repeat, very soon, I will be 95 years old. I have spent more than 70 years of this period in Nigerian affairs. I have seen it all. For the peace and sanity of the country, I appeal to all, in the name of the Almighty  God, to make this concession to the Igbos to present a President for Nigeria.

‘’Like every other part of the country, they have the men and women who are competent, patriotic, loyal, intelligent, industrious, healthy and active, whom Nigerians will be proud of, to occupy the position. Let us give them a chance,” EK Clark said in his insistence on the Southeast for the 2023 presidency.

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