The organizing secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), South East zone, Mr Dozie Ikedife (jnr) has dismissed rumour making round that the APC had perfected plans to buy huge quantities of votes in the zone during the February 25 presidential election.
While reacting to the rumour in Nnewi, Anambra State, yesterday, Mr Ikedife said it was a waste of effort to react to such a rumour, according to him.
He argued that if that were to be true, the party would not be working hard in the zone to win.
“I don’t think it’s proper for me to address rumour. Be that as it may, we the members of the APC in the South East, Anambra State in particular, are all working hard to spread the manifesto of our presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
“So, if we intend to rig the election we won’t be working hard the way we are doing now. The truth is that we work hard because we want the South East to be part of the governement at the center, that is the APC governement.
“From all indications, Tinubu is the most popular presidential candidate for 2023 election and if the election were to be held today, we would have landslide victory, ” he said.
Mr Ikedife (jnr) who is the first son of the late former President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo worldwide, Dr Dozie Ikedife insisted that the Igbo should join what he described as a winning team to enable them make their demands from the government of Tinubu, if he succeeded President Muhammadu Buhari.
He mentioned gas pipeline across the South East, railways across the zone, river port, among other things as the demands that could be tabled before Tinubu administration, if supported to win.
“Like you and I know, the previous governement of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), played politics with infrastructure in the South East. They played politics with the second Niger Bridge, they played politics with roads and even with the airport.
“But this APC governement at the center has been all out in providing the dividends of democracy in the South East. Enugu Airport has been revitalized, Federal roads done, second Niger Bridge almost completed. All by the APC governement.
On whether is it not rational to support the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi as an Igboman to become President for the interest of justice, equity and fairness, Ikedife dismissed it as a mere sentiment.
He said: “We in the South East cannot afford to repeat the mistake made in the past. We cannot afford to continue to play elementary politics.
“Ahmed Tinubu is a great achiever, he is a doer, a man with great ideas with the ability to implement them. We should not be parochial in our political decision. We have to diversify and not to be emotional about this.”
Ikedife further explained that those who made reference to Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC presidential candidate to equate it with Christians persecution on the way should understand that Tinubu’s wife is a Christian.
“Muslim-Muslim ticket of our presidential candidate shouldn’t worry anybody. Tinubu himself is detribalised. He has empowered and supported so many Christians in his political life. We should avoid religious politics.