The suspended Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, (Barr) Uche Okwukwu, has stated that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, can influence Igbo presidency.
He said that the Minister has all it takes to influence the ambition of the South-East to produce president of the nation in 2023.
According to Okwukwu, Amaechi has political capacity to help Igbo achieve its political quest in 2023.
He said that the Director General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Campaign Organization, has delivered President Muhammadu Buhari, in two consecutive polls.
Okwukwu stated this in a statement in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Monday.
He said, “Admittedly, Amaechi cannot determine the political future of Ndigbo alone, but he as an Igbo and other progressives can influence the political future of Ndigbo.
“He has the political and strategic experience and had commanded a campaign organization twice and secured victory twice, while Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and his likes had blindly endorsed failure twice.
“Amaechi and others deserves an apology from Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and his Co-travellers.
“I read with studied silence the regrettable and unfortunate statement credited to Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary, Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC), which said Statement was solely aimed at discrediting the personality of Chibuike Amaechi, an illustrious Igbo son, Patriot and Nationalist and presently the Transportation Minister of the Federal Republic.
“Amaechi predictable assertion to the effect that Ndigbo had by an act of Omission or Commission shot themselves out of the presidency come 2023 is nothing but the truth.
“To the best of my knowledge as the Secretary-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the suspended President General Chief John Nwodo betrayed Amaechi and the Igbo race as he (Nwodo) had earlier spoken with and agreed with him(Amaechi) that Ohanaeze Ndigbo will be neutral by not endorsing any candidate for the presidential election. In 2015 Ohanaeze took this path and failed.
“Regrettably, Nwodo and the likes of Mazi Okwu Nnabuike purportedly endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar without affording Amaechi (then Director General Buhari campaign organization), the opportunity to present the reasons for the President’s bid for a second term.
“Amaechi and his fellow patriots had argued that it was better for Ndigo to vote massively for President Buhari to provide them the space to politically and morally demand for an Igbo President in 2023.
“The Question is, if Atiku had won, will Nnabuike be asking for the Presidency in 2023.
“The obvious answer is no. Amaechi as governor of Rivers State (2007 – 2015) took practical steps to uplift Ndigbo in Rivers State.
“It is on record that he is the First Governor to appoint an Igbo and non-indigene of Rivers State as a commissioner, Mr. Chuma Chinye who was them, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry”, he added.
