'Igbo or no Aso Rock' Ohanaeze threatens PDP over zoning as general elections knock

The youth wing of the largest Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, that if it does not choose an Igbo as the party’s presidential candidate in 2023, it will face the wrath of the youths.

The group has said that if the PDP does not hand over the presidential ticket to an Igbo candidate, neither their offices nor their flag will be seen flying in Igboland.

It promised that if their demand was denied, they would not hesitate to fight the party in a pitched battle.

The council stated this through its National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, on Thursday in a release made available in Owerri, Imo State.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo said the only way PDP could reciprocate Ndigbo’s 24-year relentless sacrifice was to willingly give its presidential ticket to them, vowing that the youths would not hesitate to engage in a pitched battle with the party should their demand be rebuffed.

Ndigbo is the only tribe that has served PDP since 1999, the Igbo bloc vote was given in 1999-2003 to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the same to President Musa Y’aradua in 2007and Goodluck Jonathan in 2011-2015.

The group sent a stern warning to the conveners of the purported Northern Governors Forum to desist from making utterances capable of disintegrating the country.

The release read, “Without mincing words that, the forum, Northern Governors was inexistent, describing them as few ‘Fulani political power mongers’ who want to drag the Middle-belt into their illusion for them to produce Nigeria president in 2023.

“It’s idiotic to include Taraba, Benue, Nassarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Kwara etc that have had a fair share of Fulani herdsmen killing, banditry and kidnapping in their so-called imaginary 2023 presidential dream.

“With the quest of Fulani political cabal to retain power in 2023, if they dare it, it’s an indication that Nigeria at 61 this year will be the last independent day the entity called Nigeria will celebrate.”