Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, says he is contesting to be president as a Nigerian with “nationalistic” pedigree and not on ethnicity sentiments, adding that the call for an Igbo presidency should be stopped.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation made this known on an interview on Friday.
“Why promoting Igbo presidency? Am I not a Nigeria even though I am from South-East? You should not promote this ethnicity thing,” Anyim said.
“I’m qualified as Nigerian. I have the pedigree that I’m nationalistic. I don’t think I’m limited because of where I am from.”
He further explained that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was not accepted by people from his region but became president because Nigerians voted for him, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari also failed to win election three times until he formed an alliance with people from the southern region of the country.
“President Obasanjo from South-West became a president not because South-West supported him. They did not want him. They did not support him. Nigerians chose him,” Ayim said.
“President Buhari ran for Presidency three times. In those three times, he won major votes in the North but he will become president until he teamed up with the South.
“So for anybody from the South-East, it is not the South-East that would make you the President. You are going to be President of Nigeria and it is my desire and target to be acceptable to Nigerians. If I’m acceptable to Nigerians and they vote for me, it does not matter where I come from,” he added.
Anyim’s stance comes amidst agitation for a president of Igbo extraction.
