Ohanaeze Ndigbo woos North to support bid for 2023 presidency

• Earmarks N10 b for campaign project
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, wooed Arewa leaders’ for support in its quest to produce Nigeria’s president in 2023.

The Igbo apex socio-cultural group appealed to stakeholders in the northern region to back its aspiration, saying that the Igbo believe in dialogue and negotiation to produce the country’s next president.

It also disclosed that Igbo in the Diaspora have earmarked N10 billion to support any candidate of Igbo extraction that would emerge for the presidential race.

Speaking at a meeting with the National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said he and his delegation visited Kaduna to seek northerners understanding and support for the 2023 Igbo presidency.

Isiguzoro disclosed that the delegation had met with some religious groups and clerics in the North over the presidential project, noting that the Igbo delegation for 2023 presidency will continue to lobby all parts of the country for power shift to the South East region.

He also pointed out that Igbo nation, including their kinsmen in Rivers and Delta states have abundant human resources to produce the best candidate for the country’s presidency.

“The North should give us the opportunity, because we know that the North plays the role of kingmaker in the nation’s politics. We are here to ask you to support an Igbo man for the presidency. There should be no more abusive words between the North and the South East, as was the case in the past.

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

“Igbo have investments worth over N1 trillion in the North. We are for one Nigeria, not Biafra. We need somebody that can unite Nigeria. We believe in one Nigeria. We have abundant human resources that can take over from President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.

Responding, Shettima told the Ohanaeze delegation that it was good to negotiate, when seeking political power, adding that nobody achieved good results through threats.

He said: “I believe in one Nigeria. I have been part of many struggles. I am not happy that Nigeria is not where it should be.

“People who don’t know the history of Nigeria resorted to abusive words and threats. They resorted to championing the cause of Biafra. Gone are those days when people use threat to seek power.”

He stated that the group’s visit to discuss the 2023 general elections was a good development, adding that politics was about dialogue and negotiation and as such people should rise above board, because nobody will entrust power to people, who resort to threats.