Nollywood Veteran Pete Edochie has revealed that the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is too old to run for the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
Edochie spoke during a BBC Igbo programme highlighting concerns about political marginalisation and Igbo people.
When questioned on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s candidacy for the 2023 presidency, The Veteran said,
“Many people like Tinubu are too old and too weak to run for president.”
“He (Tinubu) has been in power for a long time, until he was made the leader of the APC.
“But he should leave the position for those who are younger and healthier, let’s be honest.”
He also lamented that Nigeria has not had more than one Igbo head of state, more than sixty years after independence.
“Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba are the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Only once in the history of Nigeria has it emerged that an Igbo person became the head of state in Nigeria.
“That was Aguiyi Ironsi during the military government and his headship was short-lived. Since then, the north and the Yoruba have been sharing power between themselves, apart from Goodluck Jonathan who isn’t even Igbo.”, the Actor stated.
Edochie, who described Igbos as being resilient by nature, said Nigeria needs Igbo ingenuity and sound leadership.
“Why has power not returned to the Igbo people? Is there a plot by the political elites to sideline the southeast? I’ve lived in the north. I speak Hausa. But it’s long overdue for Nigeria to have a leader of Igbo extraction,” he added