Speaking at the conference, the State President of the group, Damian Okeke-Ogene, stated that the chapter had decided to support a former governor of the state, Peter Obi, who was nominated as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra State Chapter, has described the Igbo Presidential candidates in the 2019 general elections as midgets.
The Igbo socio-cultural organisation at a press conference in Awka, Anambra State, likened such candidates with “somebody trying to go to Lagos from Awka by bicycle.”
Speaking at the conference, the State President of the group, Damian Okeke-Ogene, stated that the chapter had decided to support a former governor of the state, Peter Obi, who was nominated as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.
Okeke-Ogene said, “You know in this presidential race that some contestants are like somebody trying to go to Lagos from here by bicycle, while others are like somebody trying to do the same journey by aircraft.
“So, we have chosen the person we shall support in that election based on his acceptability, capacity and chances to achieve result.”
Our correspondent gathered that no fewer than four Igbo men emerged as presidential candidates of various political parties in the current dispensation.
The Ohanaeze statement read in part, “The journey to 2019 has started and is gathering momentum.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has earlier made its stand clear in line with the South-East Summit held on May 21, 2018, at the Ekwueme Square, Awka, tagged “Ekwueme Square Declaration,” to support every effort towards restructuring the country to give every zone a sense of belonging and promote equity, justice and fairness that would give Ndigbo and every other part of the country a sense of belonging.
“In line with this, Ohanaeze Ndigbo resolved to support any political party and candidate with a manifesto of actualising restructuring.
“This is why Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra State chapter, is declaring a total support for the choice of Mr Peter Obi, the former Governor of the state, as the running mate to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
In the same vein, Igbo lawyers, under the aegis of Otu Oka-Iwu, have expressed delight about the choice of Obi as Atiku’s running mate for the 2019 presidential election.
The Igbo lawyers, in a statement on Wednesday signed by their chairman, Chief Chuks Ikokwu, enthused about the choice, saying they believed that if elected next year as Nigeria’s Vice-President, Obi “will make very meaningful contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria, especially given his widely acknowledged track record as Anambra State.”
The Igbo lawyers held an emergency meeting to x-ray the state of the nation and concluded that Obi had the capability to make a difference.
The group said, “We view the opposition of the PDP South-East Governors to the selection of Mr Peter Obi as the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as uncalled for and totally misguided.
“It is even more untenable when the reason for the opposition is predicated on the claim by the governors that they were not consulted.”