From CHARLES ONYEKWERE
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has rejected a single-term Igbo presidency, insisting on two terms of eight years.
Describing the single-term agenda as a ruse and delusional, the pan-Igbo group reiterated its unwavering commitment to the established constitutional framework of two-term maximum tenure for the office of the president and governors as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
A statement issued Thursday by its factional Deputy President-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro in Abakaliki, stated that its position is rooted in the principles of fairness, equity and the advancement of democratic ideals.
Isiguzoro said no Igbo person has held the highest office in the country since 1966, when the late Major-General J.T.U Aguiyi-Ironsi briefly held the position of military head of state for six months.
“While Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe served as ceremonial president from 1963 to 1966, he held no executive position.
“Considering this historical context, it would be a monumental injustice, both in the eyes of God and of humanity, if, upon the eventual election of an Igbo person to the presidency under democratic auspices, that individual voluntarily limits their tenure to a single term of four years.
“This proposition is, to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, unacceptable. While acknowledging that Igbo presidency is a legitimate and achievable aspiration, it unequivocally states that it is not feasible in 2027,” he said.
The organisation noted that any individual currently advocating for a single-term presidency is either driven by desperation, engaged in deceptive tactics or employing cunning strategies for personal gain.
The body said it recognises that political aspirants are entitled to utilise various strategies to garner public support, but however, implored Nigerians to pose critical questions to those espousing the concept of a single-term presidency.
