The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to correct the marginalisation of the Igbo by pick the next Secretary to the Government of the Federation from the South-East.
They also challenged Igbo lawmakers to resist any attempt by outsiders to impose on them unpopular candidates for the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives even as they endorsed the emergence of a Senate President from the North-East.
The group, which said it would soon visit the national assembly to drive home its point noted that an unpopular leadership would make the national assembly ineffective.
They also condemned the National President of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, over his alleged statement that the North would present a better presidential candidate in 2023 accusing him of playing out the script of the Northern Elders Forum.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council spoke through its President-General Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement at the weekend.
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He said, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council demands from Presidency the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as the rightful means of re-writing the past mistakes of perceived marginalisation of the Igbo in the first tenure of the Buhari presidency.
“We are also supporting the Senate Presidency to go to the North-East as we expect the North-East to relinquish the office of SGF to the South-East. We have eminent personalities from the region who are qualified for the job. The Presidency should allow its appointments to reflect the principle of federal character as the position of the SFG will heal the injustice of the past and unite Nigeria as one.
“The leadership of Ohanaeze youth council will storm the National Assembly soonest to persuade Igbo lawmakers to take destiny in their hands and resist any attempt by external factors to impose on them unpopular candidates for the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“The independence of the legislature remains the hope of Nigerians. Any imposed leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives will turn the 9th Assembly to a rubber stamp and will make them impotent in checkmating the excesses of the Executive arm of the government.”
