By PAMELA EBOH,Awka

Prominent personalities of Igbo extraction on Monday called for its people to form a united front for the actualisation of a President of Igbo extraction.

They said the clamour for Igbo President come 2023 can only be realised when other zones in the country support the project, hence the need to reach out to them.

Speaking at an event organised by a group, Global Movement for Igbo President 2023, (GLOMIP), a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Senator Ben Obi, said that for the Igbo Presidency to be realised come 2023, the two major political parties, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the main opposition party, PDP, must zone their presidential tickets to the South East zone and allow Nigerians choose from whoever they want.

He said: “Ndigbo cannot elect President alone, rather, they should intensify effort and deliberate lobbying of the North West, North East, North Central, South West and South South.

“After reaching out to other zones, the next hurdle would be the political parties that have the constitutional right to sponsor people for elections.

“Mobilising our people to be on the same page and speak with one voice on the sole project rather than having different demands and agitations outside the call for an Igbo President, so that we shall not be looked upon as a confused people.”

In his speech, the former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, said that a President from Igbo extraction is long overdue,

He hinted on the importance of the people of South East zone fighting harder to achieve the goal.

“Power is taken, not given. We shall send our Steering Committee members to Bola Tinubu and Northern aspirants to see reason why Igbo should produce president and have a rethink.

“Virtually every part of Nigeria I have visited talks about President of Igbo extraction. I urge Igbo to unite in pursuing the goal. Each group that supported the project have already pencilled down names of people they felt are qualified for the job.

“More people outside South East support Igbo Presidency. We must have a strong body of elder statesmen to go to people of influence to lobby,” Ezeife added.

Former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih, regretted the pessimistic utterances of some Igbo people towards their quest for the number one seat in the country.

According to her, former President Olusegun Obasanjo won presidential election because Nigerians decided to compensate the Yoruba for late Abiola’s loss, insisting that such should be the case of the Igbos.

She said: “I’ve been discouraged by the Ndigbo through their pessimistic utterances. I feel disappointed when I hear them ask questions like, ‘Will they give us?’

“When Nigerians realised the injustice they meted on Abiola, they decided to vote for Obasanjo. He was not voted for by his people. He won because Nigerians wanted to appease the Yoruba.

“If Igbos like it or not, a President will be imposed on them. An agreement by all Nigerians will make it possible. Jonathan is not an Igbo man. Ijaw is not Igbo. They should not impose him on us. Whoever that’s flying their kite should stop it.

“I trust Nigeria to give us the slot to appease us. We're not talking of secession now, but injustice.”

Aninih he warned those flying the kite of former President Goodluck Jonathan coming back as President to stop such propaganda, insisting that the South South are not Igbo.

On his part, the President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, maintained that the unity of the country was non-negotiable.

He said: “Unity is sacrosanct. Anything contrary I’m not part of it. We’re totally in support of addressing marginalisation. For us to achieve this project, we must go beyond rhetorics.

“Igbos alone can’t and won’t be able to achieve the presidency. We need other sections of the country. Power is not given, but taken.

“Our people must be determined to reach out and consult widely to mobilise our people. We must not necessarily be united, but we can’t afford to be divided in this project.”

Speaking on the theme, “Actualising Nigeria’s Igbo Presidency”, the convener of the event, Comrade Iyere, said the quest for President of Igbo extraction would be a global project which will be presented to the British and European Union parliaments as well as government agencies in the world.

He explained that the idea is to ensure that the coming presidential candidate will not spend his money in campaign saying that if he does, he will be forced to recoup when he mounts the seat of power, thereby leaving Nigeria worse than he met it.

Iyere insisted that only a President of Igbo extraction can rewrite the wrong and steer the nation’s economy in a better direction.

Other dignitaries that graced the event were Professor Stella Chinyere Okunna, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, Dr. Kema Chikwe (represented), state chairman of PDP, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in United Kingdom Dr. Alex Igwe, among others.