Chidi-Ibeh led Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, yesterday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, received delegations from two separate support groups that are galvanizing support for both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidates for 2023 elections.
Speaking after the visits, Secretary-General of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that they had fruitful deliberations with the PDP National Support Forum, led by Dr. Ahmad Musa and World Igbo Youth Congress led by Dr. Francis Anagha-Ufuoma, adding that the consultative meetings were as a result of the parties presidential primaries and 2023 elections, with the emergence of, Atiku Abubakar in PDP, Peter Obi in Labour Party and Bola Ahmed Tinubu in APC”.
In response to the leadership of the PDP National Support Forum led by Dr. Ahmad Musa, Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterated that the lessons from the 1983 elections where Obafemi Awolowo lost to Shehu Shagari and the events of 1993 elections, might repeat itself in 2023.
Adding, “the scenarios of 1983 should be a bitter lesson to corrupt politicians that are desperately looking for power and the events of 1993 elections should teach APC Presidential candidate of the importance of carrying along all ethnic groups in his agenda. We have not forgotten that Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe, stood up against the proclamation of MKO Abiola and his attempts to win the 1993 without Ndigbo, and the bitter taste of defeat of Awolowo in 1983 to Shagari might repeat itself in 2023”.
Earlier, Dr. Musa, urged Ndigbo not to dump the opposition party which they formed in 1998 through Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s G34 and insisted that PDP remains the only party for Igbo to achieve Igbo presidency in 2027. They advocated for the southeast VP slot and that southeast should assume the position of being running mate to Atiku in 2023, claiming that APC will elongate the Southeast Presidency to 2039″, Isiguzoro stated
The World Igbo Youth Congress in a separate meeting with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, insisted that Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate for Labour Party remains the only hope for Nigeria.
Dr. Ufuoma, said that Ndigbo and Nigerians are currently mobilizing the electorates towards the Labour Party, stating that Nigerians are tired of corrupt politicians and that Obi is the newest political tsunami sweeping across the country, noting that the younger generation of Nigerians has designed strategies for Obi’s victory in 2023. He urged Igbo leadership to openly endorse Obi’s Labour Party in 2023.
However, Ohanaeze in its response, told the group that the major task before Nigerians especially the youths, is to aggressively obtain their PVCs before the closure of the ongoing voter’s registration exercise by ending of June 2022.
“We are using this medium to express our disappointment over INEC officials its leadership attempts to disenfranchise Nigerians especially Igbo in the ongoing voters registration exercise. We have evidences that INEC officials in some parts of southeast are not keen on the enrollment of southeast eligible voters and urged Ndigbo to storm all centres of the ongoing Voters registration exercise and ensure that they obtain their voter’s cards before the closure of the exercise. INEC should extend the exercise till September 30th 2022 to accommodate millions of eligible voters to participate in the 2023 elections.
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze assured the Igbo youth group that decision will be taken in respect of 2023 elections in the future”.