Ohaneze Ndigbo is pleading with the Northerners to provide them with Igbo presidency

Leaders of the pan-Igbo organisation Ohaneze Ndigbo have urged to indigenes of Nigeria's northern region to back their aspiration for an Igbo president in 2023, ahead of the general elections in 2023.

According to reports, Ohaneze Ndigbo made the appeal during a meeting with Yerima Shettima, the national head of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF).

Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the secretary-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, spoke on behalf of the organisation, saying that Northerners' assistance is required. He also intimated that Igbos in the diaspora had laid aside N10 billion to assist any candidate of Igbo descent who emerges from any of the major political parties for the presidential election.

He stated that Igbo nations, particularly their Rivers and Delta State relatives, have an abundance of people resources and minds capable of producing a great president if given the chance. As presidential candidates, the Ohanaeze leader mentioned Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, and Governor David Omahi, among others.

We are here to beg northerners to support Igbo to get the 2023 presidency. We are begging the North to look at individual competence and not the region.

We are begging the North to give us the opportunity. You should help us because we know that the North plays the role of kingmaker in politics of this country. We are here to ask you to support an Igbo man for the presidency. There should be no more abusive words between North and South East as we used to read on pages of newspapers.

What happened to the cordial relationship between Zik and Tafawa Balewa? What happened to the good relationship between North and South East? We must bring back the good memories of the old days for the unity and development of Nigeria.

Igbo have over 1 trillion investments in the North. We are for one Nigeria; we are not for Biafra. We need somebody that is of age that can unite Nigeria. We believe in one Nigeria. We have abundant human resources that can take over from Buhari.

We have people who are committed to serving Nigeria. We have seven states, including Rivers and Delta States where we have Igbo-speaking brothers. We have politicians like Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Rochas Okorocha, among others that can run for the presidency.

Shettima responded by telling the group that while seeking power, it's important to negotiate and lobby, and that no one has ever achieved political success through threats or blackmail;

“I have always believed in Pan Nigeria. I believe in the unity of one Nigeria. I have been part of many struggles. I am not happy that Nigeria is not where it is. People who don’t have an idea of the history of Nigeria resorted to abusive words and threats. They resorted to championing the cause of Biafra. Gone are those days you use threats to look for power.

It is a welcome development that you are here to discuss the 2023 general election. Politics is about negotiation and lobbying. You need to rise above board. Nobody will trust power to you if you resort to threat and blackmail.

However, democratically, I don’t understand what zoning means. I believe that you should bring out your candidate and we will bring out our own, and by the time we meet at the contest, whoever wins, should carry the day. Nonetheless, we will go back to our elders and report to them about your visit and mission.