Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has canvassed the use of tact, diplomacy and negotiation as potent weapons for the realisation of a president of Igbo extraction in 2023,  warning that beating drums of war will not do the job.

He said Ndigbo must do away with confrontation and threat of war against the rest of the country for them to be taken seriously in their quest to produce the next president.

Uzodimma spoke in Owerri on Monday when Imo leaders presented George Obiozor to him as their consensus candidate for Ohanaeze Ndigbo national president.

He said the rest of the country were being scared by the cacophony of agitations by Ndigbo.

According to him, while others are beating the war for the state of Biafra, others want Igbo presidency.

Related News

Uzodimma recalled that in the first and second republics when negotiation and tact were the weapons of Igbo, they had access to political power and its consequential influence.

He argued that although Nnamdi Azikiwe was a ceremonial president, his position still gave Igbo access to leadership in the military, bureaucracy and even commerce.

He counselled Ndigbo to abandon threats and confrontation and embrace dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy to convince the rest of the country to cede the presidency to them in 2023.

Uzodimma expressed happiness that a man of integrity and intellect in the person of Obiozor was being supported through consensus to lead ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The governor said Obiozor’s choice was a signal that the socio-cultural organisation was reinvigorating itself for the challenges ahead.

Earlier, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who led other Igbo leaders to present Obiozor apologised to the governor for not consulting with him before meeting to chose a consensus candidate for Ohanaeze presidency.