From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), at the weekend reacted to comments by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) that Igbo would not beg to be president of Nigeria in 2023.
ACF Spokesman, Emmanuel Yawe, said that nobody told Southeast politicians to beg, but to lobby and reach out to stakeholders across the country, instead of hauling insults against other Nigerians in a bid to get the presidency.
The ACF chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had penultimate Thursday advised Igbo to lobby if they wanted 2023 presidency.
However, Yawe said that lobbying in democracy is not begging, adding that if MASSOB feels otherwise, “it is their business”.
According to the ACF spokesman, “nobody said they should beg for political power. We only said it is better for the Southeast politicians to go round the country and hold discussions from their compatriots in order to convince them that it is only fair to allow them have a shot at the presidency.
“We advised them against hauling insults on other ethnic nationalities against as this will certainly be counter productive in their quest for the presidency.
“In a democracy this is called lobbying not begging. If MASSOB feels otherwise, it is their business. This is what we are talking about – the freedom to talk and act freely. They are free. This is their country. They are entitled to everything the country can offer”.