By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
The Igbo socio-cultural platform, Ndigbo has reacted to a statement credited to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at Nenwi during the weekend, positioning that the 2023 presidency is the turn of Igbos.
Obasanjo was, over the weekend, alleged to stated that it was dangerous for Ndigbo to take All Progressives Congress (APC) government serious over the promise that it would hand over power to anyone of that extraction come 2023.
Reacting to Obasanjo’s alleged warning, Mr Osita Okechukwu, who is the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), countered that the former president should give Ndigbo a break “for 2023 is the turn of Ndigbo.”
“Let me thank our elder statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo first most importantly for urging Nigerians to give Ndigbo a chance and for recognising the fact that out of the three major ethnic nationalities only Ndigbo had not occupied Aso Presidential Villa. This being the case, he should give us a break, 2023 is our turn to produce president, for equity, natural justice and good conscience hinted by Obasanjo is to our advantage.
“The only reinforcement Ndigbo need to compliment this immeasurable equity, natural justice and good conscience is to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari,GCFR. Voting for Buhari will elicit support from his cult followership. Buhari I know will not embark on 3rd Term like Obasanjo. The truism is that Buhari’s remaining 4 years post 2019, is cast in constitutional stone; unlike Atiku’s own which is at best a pledge, hence creates fluid 8 years for Obi and by extension Ndigbo.”
“If Obasanjo so loved Peter Obi, how come he used kangaroo tactics to chase him out of office as governor and burnt down Anambra State Government House? How come he didn’t handpick Obi to be Vice President in 2007, after embarking on the 3rd Term wild goose chase, when he hurriedly settled for Goodluck Jonathan. He should give us a break and not distract us.”
On the impression that Buhari doesn’t like Ndigbo, Okechukwu retorted, “it is an erroneous impression, stoked by ethnic merchants and vile propagandists. Please, remember that Buhari chose two of our brothers, as vice presidential candidates, Rt.Hons Chuba Okadigbo and Edwin Umezoke in 2003 and 2007 respectively. And if Ndigbo had voted for him in any of the two elections, he could had won; for Buhari has a treasured Vote-Bank of 10-12 million votes, reflected in all his presidential elections – 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015.”
“Let’s not allow our Yoruba brothers to beat Ndigbo to it again, this I suspect Obasanjo’s distraction is meant to achieve. Especially when we remember that the Yorubas brought to the table the critical votes which supplemented Buhari’s Vote-Bank.”