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2023: Atiku’s Igbo Presidency Promise Mischievous, Diversionary–Factional Ohanaeze

Atiku
September 29, 2022

Atiku on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Enugu with his party members in the South-East, said his government will facilitate the agitation for Igbo presidency, revealing that he has three children with an Igbo woman.

A faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has slammed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar over his statement that his presidency would be a stepping stone for an Igbo person to become Nigerian President.

Atiku on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Enugu with his party members in the South-East, said his government will facilitate the agitation for Igbo presidency, revealing that he has three children with an Igbo woman.

But the Ohanaeze factional group, in a statement on Thursday, issued by its Secretary, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, faulted Atiku’s claim that he would unify Nigeria if elected, describing it as mischievous and diversionary.

Isiguzoro said his group will support Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party candidate, whom he said had shown that he is the "real unifier". He added that the 'Obidient' movement is “a new Nigeria movement that transcends ethnic, religious and political party divides, like none before it has beckoned.”

He added, “Foremost Nigerian leader and aviation entrepreneur, as well the erstwhile Chairman/CEO, 7STAR Hangar/Airlines, Engr Isaac David Balami, captioned the mood of the nation two days ago when he said he was endorsing Mr Peter Obi based on 3Cs: Competence, Credibility and Capacity.

“In terms of competence, credibility and capacity, Mr Peter Obi is in a world of his own. Neither Atiku of the PDP nor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, comes close to him.

“Sincerely, Nigerians are really yearning for a Third Force Presidency due to their terrible experience under the APC and the PDP governments since 1999. Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Democratic Party, NNDP, even has a stronger presidential profile based on the 3Cs than those of the old brigade like Atiku and Tinubu.

“Atiku should realize that the Obidient train has left him behind. This is no longer time to talk about Igbo Presidency, Yoruba Presidency, Hausa Presidency, Ijaw Presidency, Tiv Presidency or Fulani Presidency.

“He should Obidiently listen to Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the Afenifere Leader who said, ‘To keep Nigeria one, everyone must be Obi-Datti compliant’. As such, he should emulate elder statesmen like President Obasanjo, Pa E. K. Clark, Pa Olu Falae, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Gen. T. Y. Danjuma (retd.), etc. to ensure that Nigeria does not miss this unique opportunity for restoration through Peter Obi."

He described Atiku's promise as a diversionary as it would amount to nothing.

Isiguzoro said, “In fact, the promise is mischievous and diversionary, coming at this time when Nigerians want to interrogate his presidential profile vis-a-vis the 3Cs.

“Based on the weighty allegations levelled against him by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on serially reneging on his promises, how much is his promise worth?

“In 2019, Ndigbo supported him and gave him over 80 percent of his votes, even when his people rejected him and he could not even win in his State – Adamawa. Yet, he, the Waziri Adamawa carefully dodged signing any written agreement with Ndigbo that he would serve only one tenure.”

Ohanaeze urged all patriotic Nigerians to keep faith with Peter Obi based on his 3Cs, not based on ethnicity.

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