The elder statesmen accused some politicians from the region be used to strategize the plan with a promise of being selected as a vice-presidential candidate.

“Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has warned that the Southeast will not accept Vice President position.
 
This is as it called on major parties to field candidates from the South East.
 
The Chairman of the forum, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, stated this during a press conference on Wednesday.
 
According to Ezeife, the South East have unanimously decided that it will not any position except the presidential ticket.
 
He further stated that the region has decided that any political party that doesn’t zone its presidential ticket to the South East won’t get votes from the region.
 
Ezeife said, “We are waiting for them, as they will meet their political waterloo this time if they insist on shortchanging the South East this rare opportunity of producing a credible, patriotic, detribalised and dynamic president of Nigeria in 2023.

“Many distinguished Nigerians and associations from across the country have not only spoken the truth but also demonstrated a high level of integrity, courage, credibility and patriotism by joining the expanding clarion call that all political parties should zone the presidency to the South East to give people of the area a sense of belonging, as well as reverse all the premeditated government policies and actions that are capable of pushing out the Igbo out of Nigeria.

“We encourage visionary, credible and creative presidential materials of South-East zone to declare their intention for the presidency and pursue it with every sense of seriousness, vigour and commitment.

“We are very serious about this directive and do not mean those unserious booth leakers, who are angling to be running mates to candidates from other parts of the country, as the Igbo will not take it lightly with any of our sons or daughters who accept to be running mates to any person outside the South-East zone in 2023.

“It is either we are allowed to produce the president of this country in 2023 to change the appalling narrative of continued decay, poverty, insecurity, poor governance, corruption and maladministration in Nigeria or out of it.

“Nevertheless, serious sanctions will be visited on any Igbo man or woman that sabotages this noble and patriotic decision of our people to provide for Nigeria a credible, visionary and creative president.

“Legally, morally and strategically, it is the turn of the South-East to produce the next president of the country as the other zones have been allowed to serve Nigeria in that capacity.”

He noted that Nigeria would be the biggest beneficiary of a president of South-East extraction and solicited the support of other regions of the country for the cause.

“The unity of Nigeria will be better guaranteed if the South East is allowed to produce the next president of Nigeria in 2023 for the sake of justice, equity and fairness.”

Ezeife added that the 2023 presidential election is the best time to fully address the injustice, marginalisation and integration of the Igbo, as the presidency is expected to rotate to the north after eight years.

“Denying South East the opportunity of producing President of Nigeria in 2023 will not only aggravate the unprecedented separatist agitations across the country but also amount to perpetuation of injustice, deprivation, discrimination and gross marginalization of the Igbos in Nigeria.”

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