Igbos will know they are no longer Nigerians if denied presidency in 2023 – Uche Ezeife

Former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife has stated that the Igbos may stop being Nigerians if denied the opportunity to produce the next President of Nigeria.

Reacting to Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s comment of the Presidency moving to the South after President Buhari’s tenure, Ezeife stated that the only region that has not gotten a share of the Presidency is the South-East.

He said in an interview with The Sun;

“My view is the general view. We are talking of equity, we are talking about fairness, and we are talking of justice; all these considerations require that power should move to the South and within the South, it should go to the Southeast.

“The North has dominated the presidency, the West has had a fair share, even in the South, the South-South has had a share. The only group in the South, which has not had any at all, is the Southeast. Unless some people are not interested in what happens to Nigeria then they can deny the Southeast.

“However, I’m happy with what I’m seeing. On the 9th, there’s a group led by Yoruba that is working on a conference for 2023, and its own decision is for Southeast to have it, and Afenifere says it’s Southeast. Tanko Yakasai, who was not quite sure before, is now saying it should be Southeast. Balarabe Musa says Southeast, and about four youth groups in the North are saying it is the South. This gives me the feeling that Nigeria may survive if people begin to think in a logically equitable way like that.

“But if some people say they don’t care about Nigeria, let them deny the Southeast, and then the Southeast people will know that they are no longer Nigerians, as their fellow Nigerians do not see them as part of them. The consequence is there, the reaction also there. I know anybody who really thinks will know this is what will happen.”