THE Deputy Minority leader, House of representatives, Rt. Hon. Toby Okechukwu, has stated that Nigerians will jointly elect an Igbo president, when they see the need.

Speaking on THISDAYLIVE, an Arise TV’s Sunday Show anchored Ruben Abati, the Reps member who represents Awgu, Aninri and Oji River Rederal Constituency, said: “If we need a person from Igbo land who is going to be the president of Nigeria, it is the entire country who will choose who will be the president of Nigeria.

“Nigerians Have always gotten together when they want to undertake affirmative action to vote any section of this country they feel that needs it. They go there and pick somebody. They did it with Obasanjo. It was done with Shehu Shagari and it was done with the present President.

ALSO READ REPS DEPUTY MINORITY LEADER MOTIONS FOR THE REOPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL WINGS OF ENUGU AIRPORT, OTHERS

“The Fulani never got together and elected Buhari. Nigerians got together and elected him. The expectation is the same will happen for the people of the South East. So, we can have a thousand aspirants. Anybody who is expecting that you want to depend on Igbo cohesion to pick.a candidate is not being fair or democratic. When they need a President, they will get an OHANEZE president. But when Nigeria feels the need to get a President of Igbo extraction, they have to get together to get an Igbo President, and that is how we have deliberately, through affirmative action, done justice to every part of this country. So, nobody should be expecting that Igbos need to get together first, much more cohesive, before we have a President of Igbo extraction and no other part of the country has done it.

“Meanwhile, the IPOB and some of these pressures all over the country are arising due to the fact that the state has some shortcomings some of us don’t subscribe to their ways. But it shouldn’t be a problem or a barrier to the Igbo presidency. You heard the President of Ohaneze the last time. He said the Igbos are not at war with anybody.

“But more importantly, there are territories carved out by those who are declaring a caliphate.

“You have the Boko Haram. It has not barred anyone from that part of the country from going for the presidency. OPC was there when Obasanjo became President. So, IPOB is not a barrier to a President of Igbo extraction, please”.