The Yoruba Council has highlighted major actions that the Eastern leaders must take regarding the possibility of an Igbo presidency in Nigeria. The Yoruba council led by Hassan Oladotun, who spoke exclusively with Legit.ng on Saturday, August 24, urged Eastern leaders to adopt specific strategies if they hope to see one of their own ascend to the highest office in the land.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Furthermore, the council outlined five crucial steps that it believes are necessary for the Igbos to secure the presidency in future elections.
Igbos urged to abandon regional sentiments
Speaking on the matter, Oladotun emphasized the importance of playing national politics rather than relying on regional sentiments.
According to the council:
“The Igbos must abandon the politics of hatred, bigotry, and regionalism and instead embrace a more inclusive and nationalistic approach.
“One of the first pieces of advice we have for the Igbos is to stop the regional sentiment.
“They need to play national politics. The idea that they can use religion, sentiment, or even body shaming, as we saw in the last presidential election, will not work.
“They have some of the best brains in this country, but they need to push these people forward, not those with questionable characters.”
Why Igbos must embrace national unity over division, YCW explains
The council further emphasized the need for unity and collaboration across regions.
He continued that once the Igbos start embracing the idea of playing national politics and not the politics of hatred or bigotry, the country will be more comfortable electing one of its own.
Constitutional review and rotational presidency
The council also called for a review of the constitution to establish a rotational presidency among the regions, stating that this would ensure fairness and reduce the potential for political marginalization.
Oladotun said:
“We need to review the constitution to make sure that power is rotated across the regions.
“This will prevent sentiments and ensure that the Eastern people have a fair chance at the presidency.”
End of sentiment-based campaigns
Reflecting on the recent elections, the Yoruba Council criticized the strategies employed by the Igbo leaders, suggesting that their reliance on sentiment-based campaigns contributed to their losses.
The council said:
“The last election showed how sentiment can backfire. The Igbos need to end the campaign of hatred and bigotry if they want the trust of other regions, particularly the Yoruba.”
YCW urges Igbos on collaboration with other regions
Finally, the council advised the Igbos to strengthen their bid for the presidency by building alliances with other regions, particularly the Southwest and the North.
The council advised:
“For the Igbos to secure the presidency, they must campaign for it as a national issue and not as a regional entitlement.
“They should reach out and collaborate with the Southwest and appeal to the North for support.”
2027: North dump Tinubu for ex-President Jonathan
In another development, Legit reported that Northern political leaders, representing a significant portion of Nigeria’s voting population, have rejected the current President, Bola Tinubu.
An insider familiar with the strategy pointed to recent comments by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who hinted that he would refrain from contesting if Jonathan decides to run.