The pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Thursday said it would soon set up 2023 presidency lobby team that will reach out to other zones in the country.

The spokesman for the Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said this in an interview while reacting advice to the South-East by the pan-Northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum.

He said the South-East would soon start the process of reaching out to other parts of the country on the need to support the Igbo for the 2023 presidency.

The ACF National Chairman, Chief Audi Ogbeh, had earlier   on Thursday while fielding questions from journalists shortly after members of the association paid a condolence visit to the Kaduna residence of the late ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Inuwa Wushishi (retd.), urged the South-East to set up a lobby team on the 2023 presidency.

Asked whether the ACF would support the South-East to produce the next president, he said the group was not a political party.

He, however, advised the Igbo to reach out to the North if it was desirous of producing the next president,

Ogbeh stated, “Everybody has a genuine quest for the 2023 presidency. Why not? Nobody is telling any part not to participate but lobby. That’s the only way to go in democracy.

“The ACF is not in the  position to declare support for the South-East for the presidency but the ACF will show understanding. The South-East should set up a lobby team, go round,  lobby and talk to people and you will be amazed what people will say.

“Everybody has case. They(South-East) have a case and a northerner who wants to run, will tell you he has a case too. When they(South-East) start discussion,this discussion will bring about understanding, not  insolence in the media. People write a lot of nonsense in the media. No need.  We want to be one country. So, we don’t want  one section to be angry and another one happy.”

Ogbeh argued that rather harassing the North, the Igbo should set up a lobby group to get the support of other zones.

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Responding to Ogbeh’s statement, Ohanaeze Ndigbo  hailed the advice of the ACF that South- East should set up lobbying team for 2023 presidency, to actualize the president of Igbo extraction.

Ogbonnia said the Igbo had supported all other regions to produce president and it behoves on Nigerians from other geopolitical zones to support Igbo to produce president in 2023 for Nigeria.

Ogbonnia, who spoke in a telephone interview said “coming to lobbying group that is  good advice and I want to assure them that already the machinery is in motion to make sure that all segment of this country will support Igbo to produce president for Nigeria. Because we have been supporting others.

“We supported the North we supported the West we supported everybody including the South-South. We are saying that people should support us even as I am speaking it is lobbying and we will continue to lobby. So we have supported the North several times.

“Let’s put it this way – in 1959 Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, in 1979 we supported Shehu Shagari, in 1999 we supported Olusegun Obasanjo. We have supported everyone of them including Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. So this is the time for them to support us to produce the president of Nigeria as the co-owners.”

Meanwhile, Ogbeh said the forum was not disposed to the Federal Government granting amnesty to bandits even with their moves to make peace with communities.

 Ogbeh said, “We want to say that the ACF is deeply depressed by the security challenges. A situation where people travelling in bus can set ablaze while those that committed the atrocity are watching, is unacceptable. That’s a descend to barbarism.

“Our nation is in serious problem. We, as pressure group has whispered to government at all levels and we do  make suggestions and still encouraged security agencies to do their best. We just hope and pray that change will take place.

“We have heard measures of rumours about moves for peace by the bandits in certain communities. We do hope it will materialise and that they are genuine with their intension. And finally, whatever steps they take, recognised that there is rule of law and that anarchy is not an alternative to lawful existence in a society.

“Also, that government can wherever possible meet with these people (bandits) and asked precisely what they want to propose. Will they laid down their arms and become peaceful citizens abiding by the laws of the land. If that’s so, that should be welcome. But if it is any other terms, we need to know the details as a society.”

He also said designating bandits “terrorists” was a welcome development, noting that the government’s action was a step in the right direction.

“What we wish is peace in the land and if those who have taken into banditry has seen reason and decided to lay down their arms, make peace with themselves and the society, then, the weapons of war will not be deplore in the first instance but otherwise, government did was what they should have done,” he added.