The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has continued to express concern over the decision of the two dominant parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, not to zone the 2023 presidency to the South-East.

The organisation, however, expressed optimism that all hope was not lost as there were other routes to the Presidency.

The Secretary-General of IECF, Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, told Sunday PUNCH that what they did to the South-East was a case of betrayal and injustice

He said, “Whatever might have happened in PDP, what is clear is that PDP has rejected the Igbo and Igbo have given the PDP more support than any other zone.

“An Igbo son, the former Vice President (Dr. Alex Ekwueme), was instrumental to the formation of the PDP. Since 1999, the Igbo have been voting for the PDP, even at the time other people migrated, Igbo remained in PDP.

“For PDP to come and change the zoning arrangement, because it is the turn of South-East, is bitter pill for Igbos. Even the people who dumped PDP in the past later came back, the PDP preferred to consider them.

We won’t quarrel with them, but it doesn’t go down well with an average Igbo person. And so what we do next?”