Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, yesterday, appealed to political parties in the country to zone its presidential tickets to the South East to pave way for a Nigeria president of Igbo extraction in 2023.

It lamented that the South East remained the only zone, out of the six geo-political zones, that was yet to produce president of the country.

The Igbo group said the task of national unity should be one of the core mandates of political parties, saying the continued marginalisation of the South East in the rotation of presidency was one of the reasons for the agitation in the zone.

National Youths Leader of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mr. Damian Okafor, stated this in an interview in Abakaliki, where he said youth groups in the South East were unhappy with the level of political marginalisation of the zone. He said it was time the political marginalisation of the South East was brought to an end in the interest of the country’s peace and unity.

He appealed to leaders of political parties to correct the injustice in 2023 by zoning their presidential tickets to South East.

“It is believed that every political party in Nigeria should have the task of national unity as their core mandate and as such would do everything within their capacity to ensure the oneness of Nigeria. Nigeria as a country is currently challenged with the agitations of secession. Most of the agitations are based on provable points which all of us cannot shy away from. It is already a problem and all hands must be on deck towards proffering the desired solution.

“Nigeria has six geopolitical zones and almost all the zones have produced the President except the South East. This was the same zone that the Nigeria government engaged in a civil war that last for about three years. The region was grossly damaged and there is urgent need to consider them in the zoning of the 2023 presidential election so that as significant progress can be recorded in the journey of healing the wounds and scars of the civil war.

“Other regions should in interest of one Nigeria cede the position of the highest office in the land to the South East. I hereby call on the youths, elders and women who love this country to prevail on all the political parties in the country to zone the position of President to the people of South East. One indivisible Nigeria is more than anything individual, group or even political party goals.”

(Daily Sun)

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