Director of Operations of Njiko Igbo Senator Emmanuel Onwe has declared that the return of the former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a major source of strength to Njiko Igbo. Reacting to the suggestion that Kalu’s largely unanticipated move has a potential negative implication for Njiko Igbo, Onwe responded emphatically at a press briefing in Abuja that : “The speculation that by resuscitating his membership of PDP, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has thereby turned his back on Njiko Igbo is based purely on ignorance of both Kalu’s political mission and Njiko Igbo’s central objective. If you understand these two elements, the mission and the objective, in the unfolding political calculations, then you will appreciate that there’s a perfect compatibility. The great quest for a Nigerian president of Igbo origin remains undiminished, irreducible and growing in momentum.”
The Director of Operations of Njiko Igbo, stated that every Igbo citizen from all walks of life is a de facto member of the organisation and, therefore, regardless of his present political affiliation, Dr Kalu remains not just a member but a central player within Njiko Igbo.
Pressed further on whether the return of the former PPA presidential candidate in the 2007 presidential election to the PDP in a blaze of controversy spells the end of the aspirations of Njiko Igbo, Onwe has this to say: “The question of whether Dr Orji Uzor Kalu’s readmission into the PDP is a hindrance or an enhancement of the objective of Njiko Igbo is best answered by the bold mission statement of the organisation. And I think it’s appropriate to quote that mission
statement here for the purpose of clarity: “Njiko Igbo is an organization dedicated to the struggle for the ascent of a citizen of Igbo extraction to the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015. We are fully committed to the security and peace of our nation, and to the comradeship of a common justice for all Nigerians.
“We are neither a political party nor are we affiliated to one. Our primary mission is to enlighten and mobilise the Igbo population, both at home and in the diaspora, to stand firm and united in the pursuit of our collective goal. Our secondary duty is to connect with and persuade the rest of the Nigerian population about the justice of our cause.
“Any political party that nominates, as its presidential candidate, an outstanding Igbo citizen who is possessed of the requisite attributes to steer our country in the right direction will command our support and the votes of Ndigbo.
“It’s about time. No prime minister or president has ever democratically ascended prime power in this nation without the fulsome support of Ndigbo. We have given our support to an Hausa man, a Fulani man, a Yoruba man and to an Ijaw man. Now we say, what is good for the geese is equally good for the gander.”
“You can see that there is no contradiction between what Njiko Igbo stands for and Dr Kalu’s membership of the PDP. We have stalwarts and ordinary men and women in all the political parties in Nigeria. We have powerful advocates in every organisation across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Dr Kalu’s decision to retake his rightful place in the PDP does not undermine Njiko Igbo in any shape or form. If anything, Njiko Igbo is strengthened by having powerful voices in major institutions both within the country and in the diaspora. We have them in APGA, UPP, ANPP, ACN, PPA and other political parties. Therefore, it’s not out of the ordinary that Njiko Igbo should have a powerful and substantial voice such as Dr Kalu’s in the PDP.”
“It’s equally important for people to understand that Njiko Igbo is not a personal or private firm. It’s a corporate Igbo entity and strong enough already to absorb and withstand shocks if and whenever they come. But any notion that Dr Kalu’s current political masterstroke is anything but an immense advantage to Njiko Igbo is quite simply a misapprehension of the nature of Njiko Igbo as an independent pressure group,” Onwe concluded.
