Retired Col. Joe Achuzie, President General of Igbozurume, an Igbo socio-political organisation, said on Sunday that Igbo presidency after the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan was not negotiable.
Mr. Achuzie stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba, Abia.
He said that Igbozurume, a political, cultural and social group, was being repackaged to achieve the feat, stressing that it was the same group that helped Gov. Rochas Okorocha to win Imo gubernatorial election in 2011.
Mr. Achuzie said that that was also the resolution at its 3rd National Executive/Steering Committee meeting held in Lagos in June that Igbos should have a shot at the presidency after Jonathan’s tenure.
“It must be the turn of Igbos to occupy Aso-Rock at the end of Jonathan’s tenure.
“Even though Jonathan still has the right to re-contest after 2015 by virtue of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That Igbos must not allow the chance to pass us by this time around after his tenure,’’ he said.
Mr. Achuzie, who is also the Ikemba Ahaba, said that Ohaneze had been in existence immediately after the civil war, but as cultural and social group which had made it difficult for Ndi-Igbo to come together to identify with one Igboman to be able to capture the presidency.
“The last person we had was Sir Mbanefo who tried with others to create a situation where Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe should present himself when the military decided to give civilian the opportunity to vie for the August position.
“After Nnamdi Azikiwe’s attempts, no Igboman had been allowed to venture near that position, the most we have is compensating us for assisting non-Igbo to get into that August position and what they gave us was a vice-president.
“This, the present Igbozurume said no, it won’t happen again. We will not give our allegiance or support to non-Igboman anymore to lord or rule over us,’’ he said.
Mr. Achuzie said that the Igbozurume members were organising themselves politically, culturally and socially to be their brothers’ keeper and to use the dynamic of “Igboism’’ which made Ndi-Igbo the darling of others who had ascended to the presidency to get others support too.
“We say enough is enough , we will not serve other people again, let other people reciprocate the actions and attempts we have made, let them show us that the help we gave them in the past was appreciated by supporting an Igboman to become the president of Nigeria.
“And we will gladly make those group to be the vice president,’’ he said.
He said that Igbozurume as a body would not engage in partisan party politics but will relate to any political party that has a better chance for Igbos to actualise the presidential demand.
“Ndi-Igbo must decide who goes for us and should not accept imposition of Igbo candidates by other zones.
“The zoning arrangement of PDP is an internal arrangement of PDP members only, and shall not disrupt our quest for Igbo presidency after the tenure of Jonathan,”he said.
According to him, Igbozurume is an organisation fashioned out to protect, defend and demand the political rights of Ndi-Igbo from the centre, and it is for all Igbos both at home and the Diaspora.
Mr. Achuzie said that it had no political party, pointing out that Nigeria had more than 40 registered political parties which Ndi-Igbo could belong to achieve its dream.
He said that Igbozurume, a political, cultural and social group, was being repackaged to achieve the feat, stressing that it was the same group that helped Gov. Rochas Okorocha to win Imo gubernatorial election in 2011.
Mr. Achuzie said that that was also the resolution at its 3rd National Executive/Steering Committee meeting held in Lagos in June that Igbos should have a shot at the presidency after Jonathan’s tenure.
“It must be the turn of Igbos to occupy Aso-Rock at the end of Jonathan’s tenure.
“Even though Jonathan still has the right to re-contest after 2015 by virtue of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That Igbos must not allow the chance to pass us by this time around after his tenure,’’ he said.
Mr. Achuzie, who is also the Ikemba Ahaba, said that Ohaneze had been in existence immediately after the civil war, but as cultural and social group which had made it difficult for Ndi-Igbo to come together to identify with one Igboman to be able to capture the presidency.
“The last person we had was Sir Mbanefo who tried with others to create a situation where Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe should present himself when the military decided to give civilian the opportunity to vie for the August position.
“After Nnamdi Azikiwe’s attempts, no Igboman had been allowed to venture near that position, the most we have is compensating us for assisting non-Igbo to get into that August position and what they gave us was a vice-president.
“This, the present Igbozurume said no, it won’t happen again. We will not give our allegiance or support to non-Igboman anymore to lord or rule over us,’’ he said.
Mr. Achuzie said that the Igbozurume members were organising themselves politically, culturally and socially to be their brothers’ keeper and to use the dynamic of “Igboism’’ which made Ndi-Igbo the darling of others who had ascended to the presidency to get others support too.
“We say enough is enough , we will not serve other people again, let other people reciprocate the actions and attempts we have made, let them show us that the help we gave them in the past was appreciated by supporting an Igboman to become the president of Nigeria.
“And we will gladly make those group to be the vice president,’’ he said.
He said that Igbozurume as a body would not engage in partisan party politics but will relate to any political party that has a better chance for Igbos to actualise the presidential demand.
“Ndi-Igbo must decide who goes for us and should not accept imposition of Igbo candidates by other zones.
“The zoning arrangement of PDP is an internal arrangement of PDP members only, and shall not disrupt our quest for Igbo presidency after the tenure of Jonathan,”he said.
According to him, Igbozurume is an organisation fashioned out to protect, defend and demand the political rights of Ndi-Igbo from the centre, and it is for all Igbos both at home and the Diaspora.
Mr. Achuzie said that it had no political party, pointing out that Nigeria had more than 40 registered political parties which Ndi-Igbo could belong to achieve its dream.
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