By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, eminent leaders and elders from the South-East geopolitical zone, yesterday met in Owerri, Imo State capital as part of consultations, strategies, and campaign towards the realisation of the Igbo presidency in 2023.

The elder statesmen re-echoed the growing demand for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone presidential ticket for 2023 elections to the South-East.

This came after presidential aspirants of the PDP from the South-East met in Abuja to display significant solidarity and unity of purpose in the issue of the presidency in 2023.

The Igbo leaders said that it is the turn of the South-East to produce the president of Nigeria and pleaded with other regions to support their aspiration in the spirit of equity and justice.

The meeting coincided with a reception in honour of Prof. George Obiozor, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

The Igbo leaders warned that any political party that fails to zone its presidential ticket to the Southeast should forget the votes of Ndigbo.

Obiozor, in his speech, lamented the state of the Nigerian economy, which was one of the leading economies in Africa.
He said that the economy has been worsened by many national events including the security challenges which have shaken the confidence of major investors in the economy.

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“Nigeria is no longer the destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and regrettably, most international companies are divesting and leaving Nigeria in their large number,” Obiozor said.
The former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) bemoaned in particular the state of affairs in the Southeast.
“The sad and unfortunate consequence is the fact that our Southeast zone is further pushed into the vicious circle of unemployment, poverty, and restiveness.”

Obiozor said Ndigbo are known for their industry and hard work and require an enabling environment to excel.

He regretted the absence of equity, justice, and fairness in the polity which has robbed Nigeria of that enabling environment, adding that the 2023 elections remain critical to the continued survival of the country.

“A South-East Presidency in 2023 will have a healing effect on the conscience of the nation and it is an idea whose time has come. It is politically defensible and morally justifiable in maintaining Nigerian unity,” he said.

Other Igbo leaders who spoke included Lady Victoria Akanwa, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (retd.), Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, among others, echoed the same sentiment.
Akanwa, a former commissioner in the old Imo State during the Second Republic, said Ndigbo should support Ohanaeze to deliver on the promise of the Nigerian President of Southeast extraction in 2023.

“Ndigbo have been sponsoring others to the highest office in the land. Now is the time for them to bring out their money to support one of their own. We must all support Ohanaeze. It is very important,” she said.

Nwachukwu, a former Minister of External Affairs, who said he has been friends with Obiozor for more than four decades, said Ndigbo needed to respect the Ohanaeze President.

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“If we don’t respect him, we cannot be respected. Now that we are talking about Igbo presidency, we will send George to lead the charge for us. It will happen. An Igbo man will be president,” he said.

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, reaffirmed his belief that an Igbo man will be president of Nigeria in 2023.

“We are hungry for it. It is our turn, we have the capacity and we have the people. Let us rebuild our homeland. Ohanaeze, you will lead us, bring peace and rebuild our homeland, create opportunities for us.”

Similarly, the immediate past President of Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, said Igbos are at the crossroads and requested his successor, Obiozor, to urgently summon a meeting of Ime Obi Ohanaeze because the danger is lurking.

The roll-call at the meeting which started at about 8pm on Saturday and didn’t end until the early hours of Sunday was who-is-who in Igboland.