Afenifere has thrown its weight behind the clamour by the South east to produce the next President in 2023, describing as gang-up, any attempt to deny the region the privilege.
Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, said those opposed to President of Igbo extraction are discriminatory against the region.
Political analysts interpreted Adebanjo’s statement to mean that the influential group may not back a Yoruba aspirant for the post president in 2023.
Already, the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has declared to run for President in the 2023 general elections.
Nonetheless, the media has lately been awash with speculations that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would run for the office of President. But he has yet to make any public statement of the subject matter.
From the South east, the former Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, and the governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, have so far publicly declared interest in the job of President.
Adebanjo said: “If there is anything like power shift in Nigeria, it should go to the South-east. There is doubt about that; any other thing is just gang-up.
“There should not be any argument about that because the South-west has gotten it, the North has gotten, South-south has gotten it. You want the Igbo to remain in Nigeria but you want to discriminate against them.
“There should be no argument about where power should shift to, it should go to the South-east. Any other thing is gang-up.”