A one time Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, over the weekend said that the South-East zone should also be allowed to produce a president in 2023, since other zones of Nigeria have produced presidents.

Okorocha stated this in an interview with the newsmen immediately after receiving an award by the Tijjaniya Islamic Sect during its Maulud celebration, in Bauchi, Bauchi State capital.

According to him, the most important thing is to have someone who could solve the problem of poverty and other societal ills, irrespective of the ethnicity of the country’s next president.

Furthermore, Okorocha explained that ethnicity was not the main factor in producing the president.

He said, “The North has produced President, likewise the South-West and South-South. Let us see what Nigeria would look like when the South-East also produces a President.

“If you have a president and yet, the people are hungry and suffering, of what use is that? The presidency is not just about the title; it’s about doing the job.

“Presidency of Igbo extraction is rather to give everyone a sense of belonging.

“What I propose is a Nigerian president who will guarantee the unity of this nation, irrespective of religion or tribe, a Nigerian president who will alleviate poverty, a Nigerian president who will make education available and affordable for everybody.

“This is what we should be talking about more importantly. But the issue of having a president of Igbo extraction, for me, is more like a competition.”