President Muhammadu Bu­hari has been on the saddle for over two weeks. Since his ascension to power, tongues have been wagging and suspense elevated to high heav­ens. Unlike the regular practice where the President announces his Chief of Staff, Principal Secretary, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and advisers, few days after his swearing-in, Presi­dent Buhari has kept mute.

Like the second coming of Jesus Christ, as predicted by the Holy Bible, no one knows when President Buhari will an­nounce the appointment of occupants of key positions, especially that of the SGF. The president who is undaunted appears not to be rumpled by the mounting pres­sure from friends, allies and his politi­cal party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

As it stands now, the position of the SGF appears to be the main bone of con­tention. Observers believe Buhari might run into troubled waters if he appoints the wrong person. There are concerns that the office of the SGF is too important to be left in the hands of a career politician to manage. This therefore leaves one man open to grab the position and assist the president in fulfilling his numerous cam­paign promises to Nigerians.

As it stands now, the odds are in favour of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of Abia State and ex-national chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Political observers and leaders of APC strongly believe that he is the man whom the cap fits to steer the onerous task of managing various agencies of government. Beyond his sound academic credentials and his refusal to romance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, Dr. Onu is seen as a technocrat. He combines his vast experience in the private sector with his sting in politics to produce the needed results.

Although pseudo groups fronting for two APC leaders from the South-south and the North-east have continued to adorn pages of newspapers, campaigning for their pay masters. However, there are many reasons why the odds still favour Onu.

Recall that four blocks merged to secure the presidential victory the APC got dur­ing the last general elections. The defunct ANPP, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the New PDP. Interestingly, CPC pro­duced the current president Buhari. ACN produced the vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. New PDP produced the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara respectively. ANPP is yet to benefit from the new arrangement.

This, among others is one of the cardi­nal reasons APC leaders and other political observers who have followed the trend hold the view that ANPP which had three sitting governors and serving members of the National Assembly before it joined the alliance that birthed APC should not be sidelined in the new zoning of key politi­cal offices.

Beyond that argument, others believe APC needs to fathom a workable plan through which they can capture the entire South-east in 2019, a region that openly rejected the party during the last general elections. The apparent resentment against the party in the South-east, many believe, can be reversed if a credible and respected son of theirs is appointed by President Buhari.

Meanwhile, some politicians have raised a point, wherein they argued that since Senator Ike Ekweremadu from the South-east has been elected deputy senate president, the SGF should therefore be appointed from the South-south. But APC leaders who realise the important role the South-east plays during elections are bent on Onu.

Former governor of Kano state, who is currently serving in the Nigerian Senate, said contrary to popular opinions, the emergence of Ekweremadu as deputy sen­ate president must not affect the existing sharing arrangement of the APC in zoning offices to those that earnestly worked for it and remained steadfast.

Already, Onu has garnered unimagi­nable support from every quarter. For instance, Igbo youths, under the aegis of Nation of Ndigbo Youth Forum (NNYF) has said that the former governor of Abia State was eminently qualified and deserves to be the next SGF.

According to the youths, Dr. Onu’s unalloyed loyalty to President Buhari, further placed him in a vantage position to be appointed. The national president of the group, Comrade Ndubuisi Ani, described Onu as a consistent politician.

‘’One of such politicians is Dr. Ogbon­naya Onu, a principled, disciplined gentle­man. His name readily comes to mind should the position of SGF be zoned to the South East by the APC. We have watched with keen interest the unfolding events and wish to humbly believe that appoint­ing Dr. Onu as the SGF will be a deserved appointment,” he said.

He urged President Buhari to carry everybody along, especially when it was realised that there were people in the South-east who campaigned vigorously and voted for APC and its candidates.

Many have also argued that the South-east which appears to be the economic base of the nation has been greatly mar­ginalised. Unlike other geopolitical zones that have produced presidents and heads of state at some point, the South-east on the other hand has always played a second fiddle. In the views of political observers, it will not be out of place to integrate the region and make it part of one Nigeria. “There is no better person the cap fits than Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu,” one of the observers noted.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=124013

We don't want permutations and combinations...Until officially released, I'm not interested in hearsay and guessing!

All dis newspapers writing nonsense just to Sell,till d list is out am nt stressing myself

SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

Newspapers can talk nonsense! Until the official list is out, won't believe anything I read in the paper!

levelszik:
SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

So Jonathan is no longer your brother. You now realize SE is yet to produce a president in the nascent democracy. Well bro, Jona na Iboman!! Like it or not, he don use una slot

levelszik:
SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

gbam!

levelszik:
SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

Igbo already had a president. His name: Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan.
He gave us the impression that he was an Ibo man. You people should have denounced him then.

pedel:

Igbo already had a president. His name: Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan.
He gave us the impression that he was an Ibo man. You people should have denounced him then.

Blood is thicker than water

levelszik:
SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

hmmmm, for Igbos to achieve that dream, the work must start now not tomorrow. Will the two major political party (APC/PDP) adopt Igbo man/woman as their candidate ? Honestly, i doubt .
I see the presidency returning to Northern Nigeria (APC/PDP) or South-South (GEJ , if he contest again). The Igbo Man/Woman that want to clinch the ticket must openly move in the same direction with other tribe or else it will be 2023 again.

Dr Onu never had unalloyed loyalty to Buhari.
He was part of d forces that forced Buhari out of ANPP making him to set up the CPC.

levelszik:
SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

Lol.. dreamer

wolesmile:


So Jonathan is no longer your brother. You now realize SE is yet to produce a president in the nascent democracy. Well bro, Jona na Iboman!! Like it or not, he don use una slot

. Let's still pity South East Please

Ibos do not need the SGF, infact ibos are not NIGERIANS. ibos need Biafra, give them Biafra, deport them back to Biafra

levelszik:
SGF or no SGF, all I care about is that by 2019, it must be the SE turn to produce the president. Otherwise, we secede.

An ibo becoming the president of Nigeria is a pipe dream. You all are going back to Biafra

Ibo ruling Nigeria.......I laff in Biafra......gragragragragragra.......

South east economic base of the Nation? If the people from South South should here see this it won't be funny.

SeductiveAngela:
An ibo becoming the president of Nigeria is a pipe dream. You all are going back to Biafra

onye bukwa olukwu nka?