The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, says it has set up a committee to discuss with all presidential aspirants from the region to ensure it presents one person to contest in all the major political parties.
According to Ohanaeze’s spokesman, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, the committee named Action Committee is headed by the group’s President General and Secretary General, Ambassadors George Obiozor and Okey Emuchay respectively.
He cautioned that any other aspirant that failed to support the person and continued to contest would not succeed.
Although Ogbonnia said Ohanaeze was still discussing with all aspirants as it had no favourite candidate among the presidential aspirants that had already declared their ambition, he noted that anybody that wanted to be the president of Nigeria must be a person with high intellect, courage and audacity.
“We have what we call political Action Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Part of the work the Committee is doing is to find a way to meet other ethnic groups in Nigeria, talk to them, explain to them and convince them why they should support the Igbo for the president of Nigeria.
“Another part of the work which we intend to embark on is to sensitise our people to come out and participate actively in both registration of voters and get their permanent voter cards. But more importantly, by the time they come out because it would have been too early for Ohanaeze to begin the process of elimination when people have not come out; but by the time they come out, we will look at them, because there is hardly any Igbo of note we do not know.
“Then we’ll be able to prevail on some candidates to step down for one candidate that will be accepted not only in South-East but across the country – somebody with national appeal, somebody with the capacity expected for the assignment, somebody with a track record of accomplishment, somebody who has the audacity and more importantly the vision for Nigeria.”