The youths demanded that the former president abandon his presidential pursuit and show support for Southeast presidency.
Youths of the Southeast have sent a message to former President Goodluck Jonathan over reports that he's interested in contesting in the 2023 presidential election.
The youths under the aegis of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, a socio-political youth group in the South East asked the former president to abandon his presidential pursuit and show support for Southeast presidency.
This was contained in a statement issued by the group’s President General, Goodluck Ibem.
The coalition condemned Jonathan’s decision to return to Ask Rock when the South Easterners who supported him in previous times are trying to secure the presidency.
The statement reads in part: “We are really surprised that despite the unalloyed support of the people of South-East to Dr Jonathan, he is aspiring to be Nigerian President when the current mood of the nation is for an Igbo man to become president in 2023.
“The first person we expect to support and champion the course of Igbo presidency is Dr. Goodluck Jonathan having benefited immensely from the unalloyed support of the people of South East”.
They maintained that some Igbos were killed and also lost their properties while they were supporting the former president while also insisting that it was time for the former president to return the favor.
“Now is the time for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to reciprocate the good gestures of the people of South East by coming out openly to support the people of the region to produce Nigerian President come 2023,” it added.