Chieftains of Ohanaeze Ndigbo have been cautioned against use of threat in wooing other geopolitical zones in Nigeria towards their quest for a president from the Igbo extraction.
A legal practitioner, Prince Uche Okeke gave the advice on Tuesday in Nkpor, Idemili North Local government Area of Anambra state following secession threat made by certain chieftains of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other stakeholders in the region.
He said Ndigbo should rather employ dialogue, stressing that the threat of secession was capable of scuttling the Igbo project.
He said, “In as much as I’m strongly advocating that a person from Igbo extraction should become president come 2023, but the threat that Ndigbo will break away if not elected president already coming out from notable Igbo stakeholders could boomerang and endanger the Igbo agenda.
“Ohanaeze chieftains or anybody who made statements on secession should employ mechanisms of dialogue to make other zones and all political parties to adopt an Igbo person as a presidential candidate.”
The British trained lawyer further listed the merits of zoning to include cost reduction, opportunity to harness human resources from different zones as well as promotion of development at different parts of the country.
“Zoning may not be written in the constitution but there is what is called convention- when something is practiced over the years, it could be accepted as a law.
“Going by all comers some sections of the society will be disadvantage. Zoning makes development to go round. Every zone has enough human resources that can handle the affairs of the various states,” he added.
