Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has set five key criteria for anyone seeking the position of the president from the South-East zone.
Although the group said it had no favourite candidate among the presidential aspirants that had already declared interest, it noted that anyone who wanted to be the president of Nigeria must be a person with high intellect, courage and audacity.
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, who stated these in an interview with on Saturday which was monitored by Africa Daily News, New York, said such qualities were necessary for anybody thinking about becoming the president of Nigeria.
‘Such a person must also have political sagacity and national appeal. He must be patriotic and above all, must have a track record of accomplishment,’ Ogbonnia added.
On whether the group would invite aspirants from the South-East for a meeting on the need for them to step down for more favourable aspirants to avoid jeopardising the chances of the zone during the primaries, he said it would be done when all interest must have been expressed.
Read Also: 2023: South-East Must Produce Next President – Edwin Clark
Meanwhile, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide has urged the South-East to consult widely and build bridges ahead of the 2023 elections.
The group said for the Igbo to have any stake in the Nigerian project in the coming elections, they should stop threatening other tribes and regions in the country.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo made this known on Friday.
Its Director-General, Strategic Planning and Implementations, Tony Obizoba, in a statement on Friday, ‘Our position on the forthcoming general elections is that the Ndi Igbo, if they need any position, should build bridges and consult widely within the various divides, not asking anybody that has declared interest to drop his interest and wait for Ndi Igbo to come and present its candidate.
‘We urge our people that if we must have a stake in the project called Nigeria, then we have to begin to build bridges with immediate effect. We have to build a wider consultation from the stakeholders of Ndigbo. Ohanaeze Ndigbo is urging all stakeholders to unite as one, dialogue and consult widely with the North and West to be able to establish their presence and cordial relationship before talking of attaining any certain position.
‘We are not going to play along with the other group of people calling themselves Ohanaeze Ndigbo and who are asking those that have declared interest to run for the presidential seat to drop their ambition’.
Africa Daily News, New York reports that Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu had earlier in the week declared their Presidential ambitions.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
