A few prominent personalities from the Southeast Nigeria, under the aegis of Igbo Elders Consultative Forum (IECF), have insisted that their geo-political zone must produce the next president of Nigeria.

The Chairman of the forum and former Governor of Anambra, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, said if Igbo presidency does not happen, Igbo people will quit the country.

He said, “Emboldened by the increasing demand and support by credible and patriotic Nigerians for power to shift to the South in 2023, the Igbo Elders Forum hereby encourages visionary, credible and creative presidential materials of South-East zone to declare their intension for Presidency and pursue it with every sense of seriousness, vigour and commitment.

“We are very serious about this directive. Do not mind those unserious bootlickers who are angling to be running mates to candidates from other parts of the country, as the Igbos will not take it lightly with any of our sons or daughters who accept to be running mates to any person outside the South-East zone in 2023.

“It is either we are allowed to produce the president of this country in 2023 to change the appalling narrative of continued decay, poverty, insecurity, poor governance, corruption and maladministration in Nigeria or out of it. 

“No half measure, as serious sanctions will be visited on any Igbo man or woman that sabotages this noble and patriotic decision of our people to provide for Nigeria a credible, visionary and creative president.

“Legally, morally, and strategically, it is the turn of the South-East to produce the next president of the country as the other zones have been given the opportunity to serve this country in that capacity.”

The issue: There is an ongoing political tussle over which region should produce the next president of Nigeria in 2023, when Muhammadu Buhari, who is a Northerner, leaves office. No southeasterner has been President of Nigeria since Nigeria entered democratic in 1999.

The support: A group under the aegis of Arewa Support Group for Igbo Presidency has called on the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to support the South East in the 2023 presidential election.

The National Coordinator for the group, Mustapha Imam said, “We engaged with several interest groups, opinion, and all other stakeholders towards finding a stand on whom to support at the coming 2023 general election.

“At the end of our consultations, we arrived at the decision for the sake of equity, justice, unity and progress of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to support the South East to produce the next President.”

Anambra President of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prince Emeka Udodeme, has declared that the emergence of Igbo president will help to curb agitations and secessionist movements in the South East and restore peace in the country.

Udodeme, who maintained that a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction was not negotiable in 2023, urged all political parties to cede their presidential slots to the South East zone.

“A national consensus for Igbo presidency cannot evolve until the core north forgives the Igbos for the killing of Sardauna of Sokoto by Nigerian soldiers of Igbo extraction in the 1966 coup.”

Doyin Okupe, March 2021

The question: What is the possibility of an Igbo presidency with ethnic-induced hatred (especially the one from the 1966 coup) still leading conversations?