From Stanley Uzoaru,Owerri
The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, (COSEYL), a conglomerate of Igbo youths in the South east have asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to shirk his ambition for the realisation of an Igbo president in 2023.
The sudden entrant of Jonathan into the presidential race has been seen by the Igbo youths as a betrayal to Ndigbo who the group claimed gave him a maximum support to clinch the position.
According to the youths in a statement issued by their president general,Goodluck Ibem in Owerri on Wednesday, it emphasised that it is time for Jonathan to receprocate their gesture and support south east to produce the president in 2023.
“The good people of South East gave the former president of Nigeria, Dr. Jonathan 100% support during elections and through out his administration.
“The Igbos were killed and witch-hunted for their unalloyed support to the administration and re-election of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. It is also on record that in the 2015 elections, the Oba of Lagos and some APC stalwarts threatened to throw Igbo to the lagoon if the dare cast their vote for Jonathan.
“A lot of Igbos living in Lagos were disenfranchised because it was feared that they will still cast their votes for Jonathan. But despite the threats of throwing them into the lagoon if they dare vote for Jonathan who was the PDP Presidential Candidate in 2015, they still went ahead to vote Jonathan.
“we are really surprised that despite the unalloyed support of the people of South East to Dr. Jonathan, he is tempted to contest again for President when the current mood of the nation and the zoning principle favours the South East to produce the next president of Nigeria come 2023.
“The first person we expect to support and champion the course of the Nigerian President of South East extraction is Dr. Goodluck Jonathan having benefited immensely from the unalloyed support of the people of South East.
“We thank Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark leader of PANDEF and other elder statesmen and groups who are backing the people of South East to produce the next President of Nigeria come 2023. History will be fair to them”. Ibem stated.