Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has rejected calls for a single-term presidency for the South-East, describing those behind the idea as enemies of the Igbo who have disqualified themselves from the presidential race.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the National Deputy President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that true representation for Ndigbo lies in a two-term presidency and stressed that an Igbo presidency in 2027 is unlikely.
It would be profoundly unjust before God and man for any Igbo person to be elected president under a democratic framework and then advocate for a single tenure of four years. Such a scenario is untenable, he said.
Isiguzoro recalled that late Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi served as military head of state for only six months, while Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s role as ceremonial president from 1963 to 1966 carried no executive powers.
Quoting the 1999 Constitution, which permits a maximum of two terms for presidents and governors, he dismissed the one-term idea as misguided, delusional, and dead on arrival.
Ohanaeze stated unequivocally that the prospect of an Igbo presidency is not feasible in 2027 and described anyone promoting a single tenure as a desperate politician with ulterior motives.
The group challenged proponents to lead by example, asking if a presidential aspirant insisting on a single term in 2027 would ensure the only governor from their party steps down after one term and whether their party’s senators and representatives would forgo re-election.
Isiguzoro emphasised that Ohanaeze envisions an Igbo presidency serving two full terms, though not starting in 2027, and warned that those backing a single term lack the moral standing to contest.
We categorically reject the concept of a one-term presidency. It is immature, ill-conceived, and the product of unserious presidential aspirants, the statement concluded.
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