Ethnicity shouldn’t determine Buhari’s successor — Okorocha – TheNigerialawyer

President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023 should not be
determined by ethnicity, a former governor of Imo State, Senator
Rochas Okorocha has said.

Okorocha, now representing Imo West Senatorial District in the
Senate, was fielding questions from journalists in Abuja. He said
ethnicity or religion should not be a determining factor in
politics as poverty knows no tribe or religion.

“I believe that power must be given to someone that has the
vision irrespective of where he comes from because tribe cannot put
food on the table of the common man or guarantee security.

“As you see the politics of today, everybody looks up to the
North because it has the large chunk of votes to determine who
becomes the president of Nigeria.

“One good thing I know of the North, especially the Islamic
world, is that a good Muslim is a man of conscience who believes in
equity, justice and unity.

“That is the only hope for anybody who wants to contest from the
southern region. The North can say for the purpose of equity and
not tribal or religious differences, the North having served as
president, let somebody from the South be the president,” he
said.

Okorocha said other regions required the backing of the North if
power must shift.

“The Igbo alone cannot make themselves president. The quicker
they come together and start shoring up support from the North and
other parts of the country the better for it to realise the
dream.

“I know we shall come to that point one day, when who becomes
the president would not be based on tribe or religion. For as long
we keep promoting tribal and religious sentiments, we are not
getting it right.

“We need somebody who can move this country forward. What
Nigeria needs now is that man who would emerge as president and
continue with unity of Nigerians just as we see ourselves during
football matches, that will create jobs and guarantee security,” he
said.