2015: Igbo In Lagos Insist On Deputy Governorship Politicians of Igbo extraction in Lagos State have continued to lobby for the deputy governorship slot in exchange for their support for any of the major political parties in the 2015 governorship election in the state. The South-Eastern politicians, under the auspices of the Ndigbo United Association, have said their insistence on getting the deputy governorship and other elective positions was based on the population of the Igbo in Lagos and their contribution to development of the state. The National Chairman of NUA, Chief Anselm Njoku, told our correspondent that they were hopeful that an Igbo lady, who is in the governorship race on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, would emerge as the governorship candidate. He, however, said in the case she did not emerge, they would proceed with their demand for deputy governorship slot and other elective positions. Njoku said, “There is an Igbo lady in the race. Her name is Dr. Felicia Chukwunike. She is contesting on the platform of the PDP. It is the party that will take the decision on who would be deputy governor. But she is very well qualified. She has a PhD in Sociology and has been into consulting for many years. “Whether she has any chance or not depends on the delegates who would vote at the governorship primary. I’ve been sampling the opinion of the delegates, and most of them are saying Lagos does not need a female governor for now. But until the primary election comes and goes, she is still hopeful. “Yes, we are insisting on deputy governorship position. After the primary, if the woman does not emerge as the PDP governorship candidate, we will appeal to the leadership of the party to give Ndigbo other positions, particularly, deputy governor. Considering our population in Lagos and contributions to the development of this state, it is not a bad demand.” Njoku said the Igbo were more likely to get their request granted by the PDP than the All Progressives Congress. He said the APC, in the past 15 years, had not given Igbo politicians in Lagos the chance to contest on its platform. He said, “We know the antecedent of the APC. By 2015, the APC would have been in power for 16 years. There are about 560 elective positions in Lagos and they have not given us ordinary councillorship. It would be a daydream for us to think they would give us deputy governor. Even if they give us, it would not come from their hearts. I don’t see them doing that. Otherwise, they would have started by giving us councillor; local government chairmen, House of Assembly members and so on. “In 2011, some Igbo people ran for seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP. Some Igbo politicians also ran for local government chairman in the last local government election. For example, Alimosho Local Government, it was an Igbo man that ran there on the platform of the PDP. It was unfortunate that the PDP did not win the election. The PDP has the antecedent of allowing non-indigenes to contest on its platform in Lagos. That is why it seems we are tilting towards the PDP. But if the APC decides to give us deputy governor, then we will support them.” PUNCH
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 22:12:31 +0000
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