Former minister for women affairs Iyom Josephine Anenih has cauitoned against  fronting former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to take up the  slot of Igboman  as president
She gave the warning yesterday  while speaking at the official launching of the Global Movement for Igbo Presidency 2023 in Awka Anambra state capital.
According to her, Jonathan is not an Igboman but an ijawman who cannot take what belong to the Igbo race..Anineh said ,that really, they  promoted Jonathan as Igboman but he is not an Igboman.
” I heard  that some people are rooting for the comeback of former president Goodluck Jonathan to come back as a president of Igbo extraction in Nigeria, Jonathan is not an Igboman but an ijawman. Iam sorry iam among those who promoted him as Igboman. His name is not  Ebele  but Ebelemi an ijaw name” she said.
She stated that comes 2023,the Igbo must be president and that would be the only thing to show justices and equity is  done in the land .According to her,the Igbo should come together and work towards producing the next president of this country by reaching out to others.
“Whether the Igbo like it or not ,the Igboman will be the next president of Nigeria. Other tribes are interested in Igbo producing the next president. Obasanjo was president without the support of the Yoruba and Igboman can be president without full support all Igbo” she stated
Speaking at the event the former Senator that represented Anambra Central District Ben Obi said that Igbo alone cannot produce president of the country without persuading  others for supports .
“For the South East geopolitical zone to actualize the ambition of producing next president of Nigeria in 2023 ,the zone needs the supports of other zones” he said.
According to him,if the Igbo must get president,they  must be ready take up battle as it  could not get the plump position on the plater of gold.
“Nobody will give us  president  based  on ethics or religious colouration. Power is not given,it  is not given on the plater of gold and for the Igbo to get the presidency slot  the major political parties must zone their tickets to south east. Igbo must speak with one voice rather than agitation. We must also increase our consultations with other groups to actualise our ambition and it cannot be won on fight or blackmail but through planed, determined and focused consultations” he said .
He urged other Nigerians to build trust and confidence in the Igboman and give them the opportunity to govern this country.
While the  former governor of Anambra state Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife said that people from other parts of the country are now believing in the south east producing the next president of the country.
He also stated that when it comes to power nobody gives it freely, saying that the Igbo must consult widely with other groups to be able to achieve her ambition.” The Igbo are ready for the presidency.we want a country of equal opportunity,justice and equity. We  are calling for united Nigeria based on equity and justice” he said  Ezeife also noted  that there should be unity  among the Igbo race and that the  story of aspirants working against a preferred candidate must  be done away with.
“I wish to remind us all,my dear brothers and sisters that the high political power play that characterized the making Igboman a President in Nigeria makes it abundantly clear that no one will give you President on a platter of gold or based on mere ethic sentiment. Power is not given neither is power served a lat carte, but power is taken.
For us  to successfully prosecute the journey to Aso Rock we must consciously pursue the  programme across the zones” he said .
Bur for the convener,  Comrade Godson Azu warned that should the zone fails to produce the next president of Nigeria the actions that would be taken by the youths of Igbo extraction would be worst than what Nnamdi Kanu led Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB is currently doing at the moment..
” We are no longer going to watch the next election elude us and we urge our elders to be united and support us and let it be clear here that what IPOB  is doing would be  a child’s play compared to what would happen if the Igbo man do not emerge as the next president of Nigeria’ he said.
The convener and founder of the Global Movement for Igbo Presidency 2023 Comrade Kennedy Iyere  statedthat the funds for the enthronement  of Igbo President  would not come from the candidate nor the South East people.
Iyere further warned that the Igbo people on the need to be careful in accepting a candidate imposed on them by the enemies of Ndigbo expressing fears that they may impose an Igbo man that would end up compromising the efforts of the zone.
National President of the Nigerian Union Of Journalists NUJ Mr Chris Isiguzo noted that the struggle for a President of Igbo extraction goes beyond mere speech making, insisting that it must be backed with  concerted efforts on parts of stakeholders and the Igbo race in general.