A group, Oodua Youth Parliament, has asked former Anambra governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, to vie for president in 2023.

Speaker of the group,  Ambassador Abdulmageed Oyeniyi, made the call when they conferred Mayegun (Iconic Progressive Pillar) award on Ezeife in Abuja over the weekend.

Oyeniyi told the former Anambra governor that apart from their presentation of award, his group wanted him him to run for the presidency. As he put it, in spite of his age, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife is the only leader from South East that OYP has decided to support insisting that Igbo president in 2023 is non-negotiable.

Oyeniyi described him as the nation’s treasure, consistent and committed democrat and nationalist whose progressive ideas, ideals and deeds have positively impacted countless numbers of Nigerians, particularly the youths, for generations.

While assuring the elder-statesman that his group will always toe his path of probity and integrity, the OYP leader said their attraction to him is his unwavering belief in people-oriented and progressive leadership, equity and equality among stakeholders of the Nigeria Project as well as justice for all irrespective of ethnic or religious affliation.

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Accepting the award from OYP and saying that he is overwhelmed by the outpouring of encomiums on him at the occasion, Dr. Ezeife said he felt elated that the award came from a group of young Nigerians destined to be a part of the formidable forces to actualise the dream of Nigeria’s founding fathers and mothers for a great, just, progressive and super-power African country.

The former Anambra governor said his entire life and fight for a just and progressive Nigeria has been underscored by his conviction that “Nigeria is a gem of a country designed by God for greatness and to raise the dignity of black people all over the world.”

He regretted that rather than fulfilling God’s special assignment, the country has been generating shame to the entire black world because “conscience has left the Nigerians, saying that “with conscience gone, the entire country has been riddled with comprehensive corruption, particularly by self-serving Nigerian leaders.”

He urged Oodua Youth Parliament to work with other young and progressive-minded Nigerians, Nigerian groups and leaders across ethnic and religious divides; for the country to achieve her destined black super power status in the world very soon.

Aligning with what he called “OYP’s noble cause, courage and constituency” on non-negotiability of Igbo president in 2023, Dr. Ezeife told the group that he would be 85 years old in 2023 and it would be selfish for him to want to be a part of that political contest when there are hundreds and thousands of younger Igbo leaders qualified to lead Nigeria to her golden age of all round development, promising to unravel this candidate to OYP, the nation and entire world at the right time very soon.