- Laments insecurity in South-East
BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called out former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other politicians promoting the northern continuation in power after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari as being ‘callous, voracious, and selfish’
This is as the body also claimed that the current security challenges facing the South-East are due to the Igbo’s unwavering loyalty to Alhaji Abubakar in 2019.
According to the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Atiku should not continue to present himself as a desperate politician who has decided to swim against the political currents, sentiments and tides of the moment in the country.
A statement issued by the Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in response to Atiku’s recent boastful stance of winning the 2023 PDP Presidential ticket again, described such belief as nostalgic, saying; “Atiku has misread the mood of the nation ahead of 2023, and this miscalculation may retire him from partisan politics in 2023
“Atiku has the constitutional rights to aspire to the office of President in 2023, but one had expected him not to rock the boat now that the odds are against him based on his age and his region.
“He should not fight dirty or appear desperate for the presidency, rather it’s time for him to voluntarily quit partisan politics and take his rightful place in history as an elder statesman without being dishonored and disgraced.”
Ohanaeze further stated that; “Ndigbo had expected that Atiku Abubakar should support a younger person, for 2023, especially after the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike openly denounced Atiku’s proposal for him to be his running mate in 2023. It is enough message and signal to him that 2023 is exclusively reserved for a Southern President.
“Atiku should search his conscience and support an Igbo in the PDP primaries to avert a disgraceful end of his political career. The Southern Nigerian leaders and Governors have vowed that it’s unhealthy for another northerner to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.”
Insisting that it is time the South-East zone be appreciated and rewarded for its unwavering loyalty to the PDP, Ohanaeze said; “In 2019, Ndigbo showed enough loyalty to the PDP and Atiku Abubakar, and the present predicaments and penalties facing the Southeast today, was as a result of the support Ndigbo gave to Atiku and the PDP, but in 2023, Igbos will dump PDP if Atiku wins the PDP ticket.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo in alliance with other ethnic groups will ensure that any political party that refuses to zone their presidential ticket to the South will suffer in the 2023 presidential election, If Atiku continues, he will surely taste the venom of Nigerians in the PDP primaries and disgrace awaits him.”
