2023: “Not Appointing A South-East Candidate Will Come With Consequences” – Ohanaeze Ndigbo

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, has reacted to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election as the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Tinubu won the APC presidential primary with 1271 votes, defeating Rotimi Amaechi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who received 316 and 235 votes, respectively.

Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, stated in a statement that the reluctance of the leading political parties to provide the South-East a presidential ticket would have consequences.

AgnesIsika blog previously reported that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was declared the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.

In response, the Ohanaeze scribe praised all aspirants from the South-East for their “heroic outing.”

The group said, “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 South-East, 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 South-East, 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.”

The group 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 South-East will come with consequences as it will fuel agitations.”

Ohanaeze also encouraged the youths to keep up the strong movement for Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR), which he described as “proof that their super firepower on social media can be converted to real votes to salvage their beloved country, Nigeria.”