Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reacted to the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential flagbearer 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.
In a statement by Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, he said the refusal of the leading political parties to give presidential ticket to the South-East would come with consequences.
Bellnews reports that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar earlier emerged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The Ohanaeze scribe, in his reaction, 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 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,” 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 South-East 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.”