The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide on Tuesday warned that denying the Igbo people their turn to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023 will spell doom for the country.
This warning was part of resolutions reached by the group at its meeting in Abakaliki where it deliberated on several issues affecting the Igbo in the Nigeria.
In a statement issued at the end of the meeting by its Secretary-General, Okwu Nnabuike; and Deputy National Public Relations Officer, Ado Osaka, the group stressed that 2023 Igbo Presidency was not negotiable.
It argued that conceding power to Ndigbo would ensure justice, equity and fairness in the country’s political arena.
“The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide met today in Abakiliki, Ebonyi state being 28th August 2018 and deliberated extensively on issues affecting Ndigbo Economically and politically and resolved as follows.
“OYC insists that 2023 Igbo Presidency is not negotiable, and it’s our date with destiny and any manoeuvring may spell doom to the unity of the country, as the recent unjust appointments since 2015 by the Presidency resulted to the rise of Biafra agitation, and those seeking Igbos votes in 2019 across Nigeria where Igbo reside must consider
handing power to Igbos for justice, equity and fairness in 2023, those clamouring for restructuring should think twice, and no Northern President will restructure a system that favours the north more than the Southerners, it’s only a Southern President will restructure Nigeria.
“Ohanaeze Youths frown at the report that some cabal in APC had perfected plans to return power to South-west instead of South-east immediately after President Buhari quits power. We still insist that the presidency should refute such negative plot or it will make Ndigbo to consider other political options before them in 2019.
“We are aware that irrespective of INEC officials denying Igbos their constitutional
rights in some parts of Nigeria to collect their PVCs in 2015 outside Igbo land, our voting strength in South-west is equal to that of the indigenes, even in the North. We have more than 12 million registered Igbos in Northern Nigeria and 5 million Igbos in South-west”
“OYC insists that APC had not fulfilled their political promises to the people of South-east, which includes the campaign promise of President Buhari to revamp Enugu coal mine which had been politically closed for 45years now, irrespective of the projects the presidency insists they attracted to South-east. But if APC continue to give priority to other zones more than South-east, it may spell doom for them. APC need Ndigbo More than Ndigbo needs them.”
The group also congratulated the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, and the people of the state on the 27th anniversary of the creation of the state.
“We support the single tenure of six years for president and governors proposed by Senator Ike Ekweremadu. We believe it (will) help to unite Nigeria than divide us.”