Ohanaeze Ndigbo has insisted that it is the turn of the South East to occupy the highest office in Nigeria come 2023.
Its President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who stated that Ndigbo have the inalienable right to aspire to the nation’s presidency, added that any attempt to deny the ethnic group the opportunity to occupy the office in the next political dispensation would amount to creating disaffection.
He stressed that equity and fairness must be entrenched in the overall interest of the country.
Nwodo spoke in Nnewi at the public presentation of the official biography of the town’s monarch, Igwe Kenneth Orizu, entitled “The Peace General” and authored by Azuka Onwuka.
He maintained that the Igbo should succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023
According to him, “this is a democracy, people are free to say what they want. But what is important is how the will of the nation will be distilled to ensure that there is justice. Nobody here is a second-class citizen and Ndigbo are not. So it is our turn in 2023.”
Unveiling the book, the former Minister of Information and Culture under the military administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) lamented that contemporary youths, including students, hardly read these days.
He therefore recommended Igwe Orizu’s 200-page biography to all as a lesson in leadership perseverance, patience and motivation.
The Ohaneze leader illustrated Nnewi community as “blessed by God in a special way. He gave you all forms of blessing in human industry, rugged perseverance and it’s paying off in all aspects of human endeavour.”
Nwodo commended the settlement for its smooth and stable traditional institution which was handed peacefully to a family.
He pointed out that such richly endowed community that has numerous billionaires, industrial giants, national/regional leaders, ministers and senators would have been having hectic time settling for a choice.
“But you chose to keep its custody in a family. Now look at the beauty. See Igwe Orizu’s achievements having harnessed and galvanised the community’s diverse talents, his strides, gait, comportment and wisdom. It’s a blessing,” the ex-minister noted.
In his remarks, chairman of the occasion and eldest son of erstwhile Governor Virgy Etiaba of Anambra State, Chief Benneth Etiaba, described the publication as a compendium of lessons in service and source of information for all to draw inspiration from.
He portrayed the monarch as a living legend whose “graceful leadership style” has blessed many citizens, including him.
