Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a leading Igbo socio-cultural organization, on Sunday, threatened a boycott of the 2023 presidential election should the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refuse to zone their tickets to the South East.

In a statement by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze warned that the abolition of the gentleman agreement on power rotation would come with dire consequences.

The statement read in part as follows:

“The Northern Elders’ Forum has opted for absurdity in issues that will strengthen internal democracy in all political parties and in the country.

“Any attempt by northern socio-cultural groups to arm-twist the two major political parties, through their sons who are National Chairmen of both the APC and the PDP, to derail the electoral process, will lead to revolts and boycott of the 2023 presidential election in the South, especially in the East…

“We will encourage the Southern Governors and socio-cultural groups to mobilize our people and boycott the 2023 presidential election in the South, especially in the South-East if the Northern candidates emerge in APC and PDP.

“Whenever it gets to the turn of the Igbo, the narratives will always change against them.

“Whenever it’s the time for the Igbo to attain any position, there will be gang ups and clandestine networks to fuel crisis and disasters against them, but it won’t work this time. Igbos will surely survive all these political conspiracies against them.”