Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, has stated that any Southeasterner can be elected President of Nigeria.
His view comes at a time when the South-East is calling for a Nigerian President of Igbo descent on the premise of equality.
He stated that the Eastern Security Network (ESN) members’ sit-at-home directive was not only detrimental to their survival but also to the nation’s progress.
Oba Abdulrasheed also pushed for the South Easterners to reconsider their strategy.
No Nigerian will feel safe in the hands of a leader who has stripped other Nigerians of their rights, according to the monarch.
The Oluwo added in a statement issued by Alli Ibraheem, his Chief Press Secretary, that if the South Easterners do not modify their strategy, they will be chasing shadows on their political trip to produce Nigeria’s President.
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While admitting the impact of the Nigerian civil war on Igbos, he urged the south easterners to reconsider their policy of prohibiting people from other parts of the country from holding property in their territory.
He maintained that the program was not only damaging to their political strength, but also to Nigeria’s economic unity.
According to him,
“The civil war wounds meted on south easterners is a weak factor to institutionalize policies capable of tearing the nation apart.
“I have people from across Nigeria in Iwo, including the South Easterners. They do not only have their businesses but also built their houses and own farm lands. Such is not only peculiar to Iwo but to other parts of the country, except the South-East. A Nigerian in Nigeria should be able to own land anywhere.
“The style by the South easterners is barbaric. Such is not only detrimental to their economic viability but also to their political recognition. As a traditional ruler, I can’t trust any South easterner as my President.
“You can’t be a leader on sectional interest. With such unsophisticated, primitive and uncivilized thinking, no Nigerian from other zones will vote a south easterner as their President.”
