By Nwaorgu Faustinus
The Chairman, Council of Elders of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, Chief Richard Ozobo has reiterated the need for the Igbos to produce the next President in 2023 and not the division of Ndi Igbo, stressing that no tribe in Nigeria can win the Presidency without alliances.
Chief Ozobo who expressed his view in an interview, went down memory lane and maintained that there are 7 Igbo states recognized by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
Frowning at the propaganda being spewed in some section that there are only 5 Igbo states peddled by the political class to cause disunity amongst the region, the renowned Igbo leader said no tribe in Nigeria can win elections without alliances, and such has to be built on trust founded on equity and justice.
He pleaded with his kinsmen to talk about their interest and that should be in terms of what to offer Nigeria; good leadership and trust, adding that, when that is done, Ndigbo should know the limit is within the 7 Igbo states and not 5 states of the South-East.
In continuation of his interview, he said Igbos are talking about a President of Igbo extraction and not the division of core Igbos of only the South-East.
He warned that if the political class continues with the said narrative of South-East, they would be denying the Igbo nation a qualified candidate who can do the job as President from the Riverine or Ikwerre.
Chief Ozobo reminded those with such ideas that the next President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide will come from Ikwerre going by the Ohanaeze constitution.
While answering more questions, he said if the Igbo nation could accept former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, they should as well accept Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, because as long as he is concerned, Amaechi is a complete Igbo man.
“And if Amaechi decides to run without the support of Igbos, he will win, after all Buhari won even without the support of the Igbo people”, he declared.
Noting that during the Civil War both the Ikwerre and other Igbo speaking states within the region suffered the same fate, Chief Ozobo suggested that for the Igbo nation to produce the next President of Nigeria there must be alliance because no tribe in Nigeria can be President without alliance.
