Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), an umbrella body of Igbo youths, has said Nigeria has one more opportunity to save itself from breakdown, if it permits the South East district to create the following President in the coming 2023 political race.

The group in a statement by its President-General, Goodluck Ibem, in Owerri, Imo State, warned that it would resist any attempt by any individual, group or political party to make light of the clamour for Igbo presidency in 2023.

The group had earlier faulted the report of the Bala Mohammed-led Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in which it declared “no zoning formula” for the party in the 2023 presidential contest.

In his latest statement, Ibem said Ndigbo was long overdue to produce Nigeria’s president, noting that “nobody can deny that fact. It is our turn and it is sine qua non.”

The COSEYL boss stressed that Ndigbo has sacrificed and waited patiently for the “plum job” and would therefore not accept any excuse this time.

“It is an undeniable fact that Ndigbo have been more commited to the development and economic advancement of the country and deserves to be supported by other geopolitical zones to occupy the number one office in the country.

“The orchestrated plot by some persons to jettison zoning of the presidency now that it is the turn of the South East to produce a Nigerian President come 2023 is a declaration of Political war against Ndigbo. It is a calculated attempt to relegated to the background all the sacrifices and political investments made by Ndigbo towards the progress of the country and we will resist it,” Ibem warned.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has said he is against the North producing the next President after Buhari’s tenure. He said for the sake of Justice, Fairness and Equality, the South deserves to produce the next President, although he said the South East must first believe in the unity of the country.

He said: “I’m against APC producing its presidential candidate from the north. The APC presidential candidate should come from the south.

“I have said it before and will still say it again that if we have a northerner as APC presidential candidate, to me, it is tantamount to third term and it is not constitutional.

“The (APC) constitution says the president shall serve two terms and we said then that the north should serve two terms.

“If you say the north should produce the presidential candidate again, it means you are going for third term, which is not fair and I believe in fairness, justice and equality.

“Let candidate from the south — and that means, south-south, southeast and south west — clinch the ticket.

“For the south-east, let me say for example, you want to be the head of this house and you are calling for the division of the house, will it work?

“And I think the southeast needs to think about it. That is what is creating the rumour for the northerners to even say they want to be the president again. If you want to be president of Nigeria, you must believe in the unity of Nigeria. I support the candidate to come anywhere from the south.”