Northern group urges Nnamani to run for Presidency
November 15, 2006

The move to draft Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State into the presidential race took a new twist yesterday with the mass movement of Nigerians of northern extraction into the Enugu Government House, chanting sai Ebeano, sai Chimaroke.

Coming under the umbrella of the National Democratic Supporters Movement, the group, led by Alhaji Mohammed Sani Ahmed informed Governor Nnamani that though members of the northern chapter of the group were the ones undertaking the visit, the movement has presence in the country’s 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital.

Noting that the movement comprises like-minded Nigerians who believe in the promotion of democratic governance, justice, fairness and equitable distribution of development in Nigeria, they said they had come to draft him into the race because he possessed the qualities needed for a president at this point in Nigeria’s history.

“It is our conviction as youths from the north that Nigeria can truly be united if all and sundry have access to power”, the group observed, adding: “We have followed your activities and utterances since your return from the United States, where you sojourned as medical doctor, and we have come to the conclusion that you are one of the highlights of our nascent democracy.”

Recalling President Olusegun Obasanjo’s praise of the governor as a performer during a recent visit, Alhaji Ahmed reeled off the governor’s many ambitious achievements, which include a new teaching hospital, a new university campus, a battery of roads, a judiciary headquarters complex, the international conference center, among many others.

“We are of the strong opinion that Nigeria needs you at the center so that other parts of the country can also enjoy what the people of this state have enjoyed in the last eight years. We are here to elicit your consent to our request that you join the presidential race as time is no longer on the side of anybody”, the group noted.

Not satisfied with the speech they gave, they issued the governor a letter, entitled, “Clarion call to join the presidential race on the platform of the PDP”, in which they reiterated their call on the governor to jump into the presidential bid without further delay.

Speaking in the same vein, the Enugu State chapter of Ohaneze Youths, who were also at the Government House, Enugu to draft the enjoined the governor to join the presidential race on account of his outstanding achievement as governor of Enugu State.

In an address read by its chairman, Prince Ezenwa Igwebo, the youth body asked the governor to do them the honour of answering their call and the calls of other well-meaning Nigerians to flag off his campaign for Nigeria’s presidency at once.

Referring to the governor’s performance in Enugu State, especially in the areas of governance reforms, provision of infrastructure and social security, including solving intractable environmental sanitation problems by revolutionizing the sector, they noted that he had the wherewithal to lead Nigeria.

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Enugu State chapter, led by Princewill Uche Njoku simply exhorted the governor to answer the call to duty by joining the presidential race immediately.

“Given that the best reward for hard is more work, we call on His Excellency, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani to present himself for a national extension of his good works in Enugu State these past seven years by coming out to join the presidential race come 2007. Our confidence is stayed on the fact that his capacity to deliver as Governor of Enugu State is clearly indicative of his qualification to pilot the affairs of this nation come 2007”, the students body argued.

Responding to the group from the 19 states in northern Nigeria, Governor Nnamani said their visit offers him the opportunity to salute the spirit of such Nigeria’s founding fathers as Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamani Azikiwe, adding that Nigeria is truly a great country with a great heritage.

“For us in Enugu State, democracy has offered us an opportunity to make a difference, to be part of the history of our people, to be counted”, noting that Nigeria and indeed Africa had passed through many travails of colonialism and neo-colonialism.

Noting that President Olusegun Obasanjo has been leading the fight to liberate Nigeria and Africa from poverty and debt enslavement for a period spanning nearly 50 years, Governor Nnamani told his visitors that Nigerians cannot salute President Obasanjo enough for moving Nigeria from a pariah status to global player and for expanding and liberalizing Nigeria’s economy through a stakeholder-driven governance process.

He extolled the president’s achievements in the telecom, banking and the petroleum sector as well as the energy and tourism sectors and concluded that Obasanjo’s government has been a blessing to Nigeria and Africa.

“We are also conscious of what he has done in the area of stakeholder-driven governance in the areas of public sector reforms, fiscal policy and even bank consolidation. So, what we are praying for is a successful transition to a new generation of leadership that is detribalized to carry on his programme, to carry on his vision so that his vision never dies”, Governor Nnamani said.

To Ohaneze Youths and NANS, Governor Nnamani said he would consult on their request, and assured them that his consultation would not be forever considering that there is little time left to coordinate what needs to be done. He thanked them for their interest and assured them he would not let them down.