2023: Wherever the country picks its President from will send a strong message to  the Igbo Nation —–Obiozo 

 Victor  Duruamaku  Owerri

The  President General, of the  Igbo Apex body, the Ohaneze Ndigbo,  Prof George A.Obiozor  this  in a statement in Owerri, Monday

According to him, ” as preparations for the nation’s 2023 general elections continue to gather steam, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has advised that whichever part of the country that produces the next president would send a conspicuous message to all Ndigbo Worldwide about their destiny in Nigeria.”

The Igbo leader emphasized that ” to secure the future and preserve national unity, the Nigerian political elites must avoid the prevailing political myopia and contrived amnesia surrounding Nigerian political history over the imperative of North-South rotation.”

He noted clearly the dilemma faced by these leaders pointing out  that Nigerian politics is at a point of no return where national destiny is at stake and where patriotism and political wisdom must supercede personal ambition.

Prof. Obiozo,  pleaded with the nation’s political class to drop all fears and prejudices against  the Igbo Nation and forge a common front to move the nation forward.

 noting further that Ndigbo as an ethnic  nationality is blessed with a good number of capable, Nigerian patriotic and credible personalities who are eminently qualified to govern the country and meet the expectations of the citizenry

According to the Igbo leader, this patriotic sons and daughters of the Igbo would achieve this through equity, justice and fairness.

He said, ” indeed he or she will bring into office, an amazing sense of peace and harmony to the untry, ensure imperative of national unity and commitment to good governance with dedication, decency and decorum.”

On weather the Igbos are campaigning enough across the country,  for the presidential position, Prof Obiozo said  “since 1960, Igbos have been campaigning for their rights to leadership in Nigeria.

So anybody who says that we have not campaigned enough about the 2023 Igbo President is guilty of historical fallacy because many of us know how often those rights and opportunities have been denied or ignored with impunity.”

He questioned  ” how can one be accused of making noise over marginalization or discrimination in critical areas of Nigerian Politics and at the same time accused of not making enough political campaign for the 2023 Presidency.”

Obiozo insisted that ” Ndigbo have campaigned for any relevant National political office since the end of the war.”

” Most Nigerians with conscience and who are  patriotic as well as friends of Nigeria inside and outside the country know this to be the true” he added

The Igbo leader pleaded with all Nigerian political elites to set aside all fears and prejudices against Ndigbo to forge a common front to heal the nation pointing out that Ndigbo need justice, equity and fairness and not blame game

He assured that ” Nigeria will above all once again experience resurgence of nationalism with enthusiasm under an Igbo Nigerian President with malice towards no one and charity to all.

According to him, ” we need a leader who can unite us as one nation in one destiny and not one Nigeria with disputed destinies as incrementally observed in our history in recent years.”

Prof. Obiozor, a former Ambassador to United States and Israel faulted the idea that Ndigbo cannot produce a candidate that is popular enough in Nigeria today describing it as another historical fallacy and prejudice about Ndigbo.

He asked, ” throughout history,  who is popular among his rivals or who can be judged popular among his rivals where the name of the game is competition?”

He noted,” above all, it is part of the prejudice Ndigbo complain about that when the opportunity for leadership comes to them, our rivals and political adversaries always try to shift the goal post whenever Ndigbo are within the penalty box.”

The Igbo leader demanded also to know how many Nigerians are more popular than Ndigbo political elites within and outside Nigeria.

” actually, their high visibility and popularity in Nigeria and outside is part of their problem.” he observed

He admonished the political elites to take serious note of  the denial of justice to any group or groups in the history of Nigeria, a country where there is  a glaring statistics of power sharing history

He strongly believed that there is absolutely no doubt that it is politically and morally defensible and justifiable for power to shift to South and to the South-East.