The Chidi Ibeh-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could be swimming against the moment’s political tide over his 2023 Presidential ambition.
In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Okechukwu Isiguzoro, on Tuesday, the group said the mood of the entire country favoured Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.
The statement reads: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide appreciates the unity of purpose demonstrated by the middle belt and Southern leaders, on speaking the truth and establishing the fact that based on equity and fairness in the spirit of one brotherhood (Nigeria) that 2023 should be exclusively reserved for the Igbo, to halt the disintegration adherents and factors threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria beyond 2023.
“Based on this circumstance on the ground, any promotion of Northern continuation after 8 years of President Buhari from any individual, is callous, voracious and selfish.
“Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s boastful stance of winning the 2023 PDP Presidential ticket, is a nostalgic belief that has decorated him as a desperate politician swimming against the political currents and tides of the moment.
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“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 for 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 takes his rightful place in history as an Elder statesman without being dishonored and disgraced”.
“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. That’s enough message and signal to him that 2023 is exclusively reserved for a Southern President, and 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.
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“In 2019, Ndigbo showed enough loyalty to the PDP and Atiku Abubakar, and the present predicaments and penalties facing the South-East today, was the 2019 Igbo support given to Atiku and PDP. But in 2023, Igbos will dump PDP if Atiku wins the PDP tickets. 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 that awaits him.”
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