For equity and stability in Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must produce candidates of Igbo extraction for the 2023 presidential ballot, Igboekulie Association has said.

In a statement, yesterday, signed by its President, Ben Onuora, and Secretary, Benjamin Obidegwu, the Igbo socio-political organisation said such pursuit for unity would be best served, if the two major political parties present Igbo folks as candidates, just as the duo of Chiefs Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae of Yoruba extraction were presented for the 1999 general election in an adroit political arrangement.

The insistence of Igboekulie has further re-echoed the association’s commitment to its core mission of creating a platform that would draw vibrant, dynamic and progressive Igbo indigenes together for articulation, propagation, implementation and development of the economic, educational and political agenda for Ndigbo based on equity, freedom and justice in the country.

Over 45 Northern civil society groups under the aegis of Concerned Arewa Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria had reverberated the position of Igboekulie by demanding that the South East must be given the opportunity to produce the next president in the spirit of justice.

Igboekulie said all that is required was for the rest of the country to demand that credible and competent Igbo citizens be presented.

“As of today, Igboekulie has identified excellent aspirants of Igbo extraction among the two political parties. Others may yet join the race,” the group assured, insisting that no political zone could, alone, determine who becomes the president, not even the entire North or South.

The statement, which was made available to The Guardian, reads: “This is, therefore, a clarion call on all Nigerians to consider this proposition in the interest of fairness, unity and national stability. In any event, since the Igbo supported others in the past, it is time for those others to reciprocate the kind gesture now.

“Despite recent agitations for separation, borne out of frustration, the Igbo are known to have shown faith in Nigeria by living and investing heavily in all parts of the country. That sense of commitment to unity and the progress of others should count for something.”

According to Igboekulie, the country needs healing, peace and progress, adding: “Presidency by a competent Nigerian of Igbo extraction will promote and sustain these. Politicians should foster nation building. This is why Section 14 (4) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that Nigeria should be governed ‘in such a manner as to reflect federal character and the need to promote national unity and to command loyalty.

“We also expect the political parties to device a mechanism for stopping the aspirants that are facing trial for stealing humongous amount of money, to assuage the feelings of Nigerians and demonstrate the zero tolerance for corruption by the affected political parties.” 

Meanwhile, the organisation stated that since May 2015, when Buhari came to power, by his share determination to remain very provincial and parochial in word and action, Nigeria’s unity has been compromised.

“This officially orchestrated disunity has invariably heightened the justifiable feeling of alienation by some sections of Nigeria, especially the Igbo. Since the end of the civil war, the Igbo have generally not been fully accepted back into Nigeria, judging by a glass ceiling against them as far as certain political positions are concerned. The most important of these positions is the presidency,” Igboekulie added.