Former Biafra leader to run for president

Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who led a failed attempt at seccession by southeastern Nigeria more than 30 years ago, has been nominated presidential candidate by the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the party's chairman said on Friday. APGA Chairman Chekwas Okorie said Ojukwu was chosen as a “consensus candidate” after the screening of several aspirants. In 1967, Ojukwu - then an army colonel - had declared southeastern Nigeria an independent republic called Biafra after a year of political crisis during which thousands of people from the southeast were subjected to pogroms in the north of the country. A 30-month civil war followed in which more than one million people died, mostly from starvation. It ended with Biafra’s surrender in 1970. APGA, one of 30 political parties registered to contest next year’s general elections, has portrayed itself as defending southeastern interests. Its core programme, according to Okorie, is to seek devolution of power to Nigeria’s regions in a federal arrangement that would lead to a weaker centre. Okorie said Ojukwu was the best choice to match the former military top brass likely to emerge as the candidates of leading political parties. “The north has presented Gen Muhammadu Buhari as their candidate. The southwest has presented Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, we will present our own Gen Ojukwu from the southeast to match these generals,” he said.