Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has maintained that the only way the country will continue as one Nigeria is for the North to champion the call for Igbo president in 2023.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Engr. Chidi-Ibeh led Ohaneze Ndigbo in Abakaliki, and signed by the Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
The group stated that the only tribe that we rebuild the Northern part of the country is the Igbo, noting that the Eastern part of Nigeria with its population and investments had contributed in the past for the progress and development of the North.
Ohaneze maintained that to stop Biafra agitators who are reacting to the nepotism and security threats in the East, there is need for an Igbo president to succeed Buhari in 2023.
The group noted that southeast will explore all available options before it for the zone to grab the presidential seat in 2023, adding that there are ongoing backstage engagements and negotiations on the way forward with all sections of the country especially with the real owners of the North.
“2023 will be peaceful and heal the political ailments and security maladies in Nigeria only if an Igbo will be allowed to succeed President Buhari. However, any imposition, manipulation, or ethnic dominance against the South especially the old Eastern Nigeria may spell doom for the country and will fuel chaos and disintegration of the country.
“We watched keenly as juveniles of darkness and elders of marauders take on a revered Igbo Elder statesman, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, over his position on 2023. We must make it known that IGBO will never kneel for anyone to be President in 2023.
“Our suspicions are reinforced by the way Northern groups especially, ACF(Arewa Consultative Forum) and NEF( Northern Elders Forum) become agitated whenever issues arise that will favor the IGBO. We are aware of the ugly patterns adopted by ACF and NEF to discredit, undermine and thwart things that will favor the East, irrespective of the fact that we have traditional allies in the North, but we will trace to the root of the matter, to know why northern leadership resorts to blackmail, confrontation with crooked offensive onslaughts against the southeast despite the level of development and investment Indigbo have brought to the North,” the statement noted.