By Anayo Okoli
ENUGU—APEX Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that it supports constitutional restructuring that will ensure equity and fairness to make Nigeria a true federalism.
According to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, until Nigeria is restructured, credible elections will remain elusive.
The Igbo apex body said it had aligned with the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum to canvas a restructured Nigerian ahead of the 2023 elections, saying it would serve Nigerians better.
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Ohanaeze’s position came on the heels of calls by the former National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Senator Victor Umeh, to all the political parties to make it a policy that only Igbo persons be made their presidential candidates in the 2023 elections.
Umeh said the emergence of an Igbo man as President of Nigeria will show that the Civil War had truly ended, insisting that Ndigbo have people who will effectively pilot the affairs of Nigeria.
On the relationship between restructuring, Acting Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prince Achi-Okpaga, said Ohanaeze Ndigbo would actively work with other ethnic groups across the country to pursue constitutional restructuring of the country and make it a true federalism.
His words: “We support restructuring and will go for a joint decision of the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum on how to bring it about. This has been our unwavering standpoint and we do not intend to shift from it.
“So, we shall continue to harness our discussions with these geopolitical bodies tailored to chat a good course for posterity.
“I liken the issue of election and restructuring to that the mouth and the tooth. Until the rotten tooth is pulled out the mouth must chew with caution. So until you restructure Nigeria credible elections will remain elusive.”
Meanwhile, Victor Umeh, who was the immediate Senator that represented Anambra Central Senatorial district, has said the clamour for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction is to ensure that Nigeria is truly a united country and end the marginalisation of the people of the South-East.
His words: “Let all the political parties make it a policy that the South-East should be allowed to provide leadership for the unity of Nigeria.
“It is not that we will die if we don’t produce a President for Nigeria. But it is for the country to be truly united.”
According to him, Ndigbo are in every village of this country doing one business or the other, an indication that they are true Nigerians who should be trusted.
