Elder statesman and a member of All Progressives Congress (APC) Board of Trustees, Ezekiel Izuogu, has stated that the only way to bring about lasting peace to Nigeria was to hand over the presidential stool to an Igbo indigene.

Izuogu, who ruled out the possibility of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning elections in 2019, hailed former President, Olusegun Obasanjo for recently canvassing for an Igbo presidency.

Speaking with Daily Sun, the party chieftain said the long absence of President Buhari has not made any difference, noting that the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo was rightly doing the job.

On why an Igbo man should become Nigeria’s next President, Izougo said, “Obasanjo is a Prophet. This time he spoke as a prophet that he is. It was him who made Yar’Adua the President of Nigeria. Jonathan was a governor till Obasanjo picked him and made him Vice President, then President. Obasanjo should be respected. He made a wonderful statement.

“If you want peace in Nigeria, give the presidency to an Igbo man who knows what to do and Nigeria will change automatically. All these agitations will stop immediately. There is no local government you go to and will not see an Igbo person.

“They are wonderful mixers. Igbos are not perfect, but they have what is good to apply to Nigeria. Nigeria is big and what it needs is the economic ingredient to be great. So, I am totally in support of what Olusegun Obasanjo said.

On the long absence of Buhari from power due to ill-health, the party chieftain said, “It is a problem for the country. We wish Buhari a quick recovery. I wish that God will intervene so that he will recover fast because there are some positions you hold and you should not be sick because all the eyes of the people are on you.

“If you are not holding the position of the President of Nigeria, you can be sick for six months, be in a hospital somewhere in the world, nobody will even mind.

“The moment you are number one in a country that is struggling with economy, struggling with employment, struggling with so many things, it can be painful not only to Buhari himself, but all his supporters and well wishers of Nigeria.

“I supported Buhari during the campaigns. I went round all the 36 states of Nigeria with Buhari even though bombings were taking place in the North-East. We took all the risks because I was convinced that he had what it takes to bring about honesty in the leadership of Nigeria and likewise fight corruption.”