A former Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has said that the Igbo citizenship would cease to exit in 2023 if the South East is not given the chance to produce the next President of Nigeria.

Ezeife said that the people of the South East Geopolitical zone should be given a chance to have become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He stressed that if the zone is given the chance in 2023 but fails to win the the election, the people would take it as their fate, adding that denying them the chance would portend serious danger for the country’s democracy.

He said: “After being given a serious chance and we could not make it, that could be understood but if anybody begins to say that there is no chance in 2023, that will be very dangerous. People who want to follow their minds would always do so.

“In the 2019 Presidential election, the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who everybody knows where he comes from, became an original Igbo man. How could anybody have called on the Igbo to divide themselves and vote one part for Atiku and the other for President Buhari. The Igbo did not vote for one party actually.”

He said Igbo people voted for both the PDP and the APC in the last General elections but followed their minds just like they followed former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We cannot begin to pretend not to know where we want to go. What I am saying is that when it is our turn, let them vote for us, that is all,” he added.

Speaking on the security challenges facing the country, Ezeife noted that the Traditional Leaders including the Obas, Obis, Emirs and others from other areas should hold a summit where the herdsmen would be properly talked to.

“If they think that they are the Leaders and whatever they want will happen, and they talk with some kind of arrogance, nobody enjoys being talked down on. They should also partner with churches and mosques to find a solution to the challenges we are facing as a country.

“What is happening now is very bad. I heard that about two people this morning were kidnapped in Anambra and I heard one was asked to bring N1.5 million and the second person asked to bring several millions as ransom. Such a development is not good for the country. When the British, our colonial masters left Nigeria, the Fulani had a very good name,” he said.

Just recently, some south east youth insisted the zone is no longer part of Nigeria nation.