2023: Ndigbo Move To Lobby North, South West, Others To Produce Next President

As the battle for who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 sets, Ndigbo have begun moves to lobby Northern, Yoruba, and South-South leaders to gain their support in producing a President of Igbo extraction in 2023.

This was part of resolutions reached the recently concluded 6th World Igbo Summit held at Gregory University Uturu, Abia State.

ABN TV reports that while maintaining that 2023 is the best time for Ndigbo to produce the next President, a communique issued at the end of the summit signed by Sen (Gen) Ike Nwachukwu, Prof. George Obiozor, Prof. Gregory Ibe, Iyom Josephine Anenih, and Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, the summit urged Igbo sons and daughters to ensure that candidates of Igbo extraction emerge in their various political parties.

With the theme, ‘Enduring Future for Ndigbo: Expectations and Challenges’ the summit which held between 18th– 19th December, 2020 was chaired by former Chief of General Staff/Vice President of Nigeria, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe Rtd.

The communique partly read, “As Ndigbo, we shall continuously seek for a system or polity that guarantees and secures our social, political and economic interest in Nigeria, based on equality of citizenship, equity, and justice.

“That we shall diligently and boldly work hard to convince other Nigerians to support Igbo’s quest to become the President of Nigeria as 2023 is the right time for Ndigbo to occupy the seat of the Presidency of Nigeria.

“To this end, the summit, therefore, urges Igbo politicians to ensure that their respective political parties produce candidates of Igbo extraction as presidential candidates of their respective political parties.

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“We call Igbo legislators in the National Assembly to seek collaboration with members from other zones to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate a provision that compels INEC to ensure rotation clause in parties constitution, as a requirement for registration, while all our sons and daughters in any political party strive to ensure “rotation of Presidency” Clause in their party constitution.”

The Summit further urge Ndigbo to remain politically active and conscious to ensure that the about 26 million registered voting strength of Ndigbo all over Nigeria are effectively mobilized, through regular voter education to strengthen the capacity of the zone to negotiate and ultimately win the Presidency.

It reiterated that Ndigbo needs the persuasion of other Nigerians to politically achieve its aim, expressing readiness to engage other Nigerians and people.

The Summit was organized to bring together Igbo elders, leaders, and great minds to x-ray the historic and contemporary realities in Nigeria today, the impact of Covid-19 Pandemic, the EndSARS phenomenon and its resetting agenda on the socioeconomic and political landscape of Nigeria, and proffer options to achieving the set targets for Ndigbo going forward.

The meeting attended by great leaders of Igbo extraction both physically and virtual was chaired by former Chief of General Staff/Vice President of Nigeria, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe Rtd. In attendance were the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who also declared the Summit open. Others were, Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onuh, former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. Others include General (Sen) Ike Nwachukwu, Prof, Joe Irukwu, Prof George Obiozor, Prof Ihechukwu Madubuike, Professor Greg Ibe, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, Prof. Augustine Uwakwe, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, and so many other Igbo great intellectuals, professionals, businessmen, Civil society activists, gender advocates and other experts of Igbo extraction residing in different parts of the world.