Paschal Emeka, Abuja
The Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has responded to the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).
Tinubu was declared winner of the APC presidential primary after he polled 1271 votes to beat his closest rival, Rotimi Amaechi and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who polled 316 and 235, respectively.
Ohanaeze in a statement through its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the snub of the leading political parties to give presidential ticket to the Souteast would come with consequences.
It will be recalled that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was earlier declared the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Mazi Isiguzoro however saluted all the aspirants from the South-East for their “heroic outing.”
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo salutes Igbo Presidential aspirants in both the APC and the PDP for standing firm to the end, in the face of utter betrayal by both parties.
“Indeed, the usually calm Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu appropriately captured the mood of Ndigbo, especially the Southeast, when he asked a very pertinent question while speaking at the APC primary: ‘where is the Justice?’
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo salutes the Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SAMBA) for insisting that it is the turn of the Southeast, come 2023.
“We commend in a very special way, elder statesmen like Afenifere leader Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Niger Delta Leader, Pa Edwin Clark, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Middle Belt Leader, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, etc for rising above ethnic sentiments to be true heroes of Nigerian democracy,” he stated.
Isiguzoro warned that “the 2023 Presidential Election shall make or mar Nigeria if the citizens fail to rise above ethno-religious sentiments to ‘take back Nigeria’ from the vicious grip of the kleptomaniac politicians.
“The denial of presidential ticket to the Southeast will come with consequences as it will fuel agitations.”
He urged the youths to continue the ongoing massive campaign for Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR), describing it as a “proof that their super firepower on social media can be converted to real votes to salvage their beloved country, Nigeria.”