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Ohanaeze Ndigbo

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisations; Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alaigbo Foundation, Igbo National Congress, among others, yesterday, agreed that a president of Igbo extraction is achievable in 2023 as the Igbos are working towards its realization.

This came as an Ex-Biafran soldier and prominent traditional ruler in Enugu State, Igwe Spencer Ugwuoke, expressed doubt over the realization of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023 because “Ndigbo lacks unity of purpose.”

Ugwuoke, who is the traditional ruler of Obimo autonomous community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, insisted that lack of unity of purpose by the Igbo and deficient political structure would make it difficult for them to realize the dream.

The monarch said Ndigbo cannot be talking from both sides of the mouth without any recognizable leader and hope to capture a presidential seat in 2023.

“This country has many miracles that occur at their own time, but I must tell you that there is no indication that an Igbo man will emerge president of Nigeria in 2023.

This is because the Igbo have refused to forge a common font politically unlike what we have in other major ethnic groups in Nigeria; even the minority tribes are more united than the Igbo.

“Though, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Nniah Nwodo, has improved the status of the Igbo in terms of achieving common ambition, there are still a lot to be done. Even among us, there are still some of us sabotaging Nwodo’s efforts.

“We have to go back to Ohanaeze Ndigbo and make it the authentic mouthpiece of the Igbo because, as it stands now, the organisation is deficient. With inequitable representations of the different traditional institutions in South East, it is difficult to speak with one voice.

You always hear of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, Abuja, Jos, South Africa and what have you. This is wrong and it is the origin of the discordant tunes affecting our political fortunes in Nigeria.

Where have you seen the Oba of Benin and Sultan of Sokoto being countered by their subjects? It only happens in the South East. “When you are looking for something, you should not create enemies.

You cannot be opposing Buhari’s administration and expect him to back you up for the presidency in 2023.

“Let’s create a platform to promote the pains of the South-East as a geopolitical zone that has not produced a president. Let’s get leaders of thought, traditional rulers and chairmen of the state council of chiefs to meet their counterparts in other geopolitical zones for support. Let our politicians put their interest in a common pot for the interest of the zone and not be originators of discordant tunes.

“Igbo Presidency is realisable but there has to be a long term plan geared towards achieving it. It is not possible in 2023”, Igwe Spencer said.

Disagreeing with Igwe Ugwuoke, the umbrella organisation of the Igbo said Igbo presidency is achievable in 2023.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo through its spokesman, Uche Achi-Ogbaga, said Igbo presidency is achievable, adding that there is nothing like lack of unity of purpose as all Igbo cannot be in one political party or think alike.

He said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been galvanizing both Ndigbo and other ethnic groups and all parts of the country towards achieving this project.


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