The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on presidential aspirants from the South-East to be more assertive and work harder in order to brighten the chances of the region to produce the next president of the country in 2023.
The spokesman for the group, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, who made this call while speaking with Sunday PUNCH expressed the need for each aspirant to reach out to Nigerians and inform them about their plans for the country.
Former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa, ex-governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, are among presidential aspirant from the region.
Ogbonnia explained that although each aspirant had his strategy, Ohanaeze Ndigbo would not shift ground on the need for a person from Igbo extraction to become the president in 2023.
He said, “Each aspirant must be talking so that their chances will be brighter. The aspirants from the South-East are not assertive enough. They should work harder.
“In the Peoples Democratic Party, we have two persons, Anyim Pius Anyim and Sam Ohuabunwa from the South-East. It appears they are not as aggressive enough, But that is entirely a different ball game.
“We know that each aspirant has his own strategy, but as far as Ohanaeze is concerned, we are very constant like the northern star. Our position is very clear on Igbo presidency.”
He, however, called on the two major political parties in the country, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, to zone the presidency to the South-East for the unity and progress of the country.
“We made it clear that we are not going to consider vice presidency. It is either presidency or not. Any patriotic Nigerian should reason beyond now.
Plot to deny Igbos Presidency will not work – Ohuabunwa
Meanwhile, one of the presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sam Ohuabunwa, has said any plot to deny the South-East the presidency in 2023 will not be successful.
He said, “The plot will not work. God Himself will not sanction injustice. I am still hopeful that wise counsel will still prevail as most God-fearing Nigerians are in support of justice. They support a shift to the East and by God’s grace, it will happen.”
Ohuabunwa, who is the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and the founder of Neimeth Pharmaceutical, stated this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH.
He said he had worked harder than any other aspirant to succeed the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
He explained that the insinuation that Igbo presidential aspirants were not assertive and losing steam in their campaign was unfounded, adding that he would become the nation’s president, come 2023.
He said, “It’s not true, that Igbo presidential aspirants have lost steam and are not consulting and campaigning again. Yesterday, I was in the South-East. On Thursday, I was in Delta and I met with the PDP caucus there. On Monday, I will be going to Oyo and from Oyo, to Kwara. We are moving.
“It’s just that we don’t have the resources the way Tinubu has; he has so much money and if he coughs, everybody hears about it. But we are doing much more than he does. Our move is towards the delegates, because we are not in the general elections yet. It’s the PDP delegates we are focusing on now; we are not entertaining the general public.
“Therefore, we are strategic in our moves. It’s not true that Igbo presidential aspirants are not doing anything about their ambition. If anybody is not moving, I am moving and strategising. I must tell you that in the last two or three weeks, I have done so much to ensure I clinch the PDP presidential ticket.”
He added, “Tinubu is known to have so much money that he must spend. Atiku is known to have so much money he must spend. We are not known to have so much money to spend, but we are doing more strategic job behind the scene and we are appealing to the people to come on board with us.
“I have visited Obasanjo. I have been to IBB. I have been to so many others. So, I’m working hard. I have evidence. No single presidential aspirant, in the APC or PDP is doing the strategic job I’m doing to win.”
Nigerians should support Igbo presidency in 2023 –Accord Party
In a related development, the Accord Party presidential aspirant, Dr. Solomon Wining, has said that Nigerians should support the Igbo presidency as it is the key to the unity of the country.
Addressing journalists in Awka on Saturday, Wining described Ndigbo as faithful to the ideals of national unity and integration of the country.
He said the South-East people were true democrats, as they remained the only tribe found in every part of the country and living peacefully with the people and developing their host communities.
He argued that the only way to end the agitations from all quarters was to give every ethnic group in the country a sense of belonging.
Tracing the leadership of Nigeria, Wining said, since the return of democratic rule in 1999 till date, the Igbo were yet to taste the seat of the president.
Wining added that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was “brought on board as compensation for the injustice done to the late Chief MKO Abiola, whose June 12, 1993 mandate was annulled.”
On his presidential ambition, he said, “This nation needs a man with fear of God, love for mankind, and above all, a person with the will and capacity to fix Nigeria, I’m the right man now to move Nigeria in the desired direction.”
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