From Ameachi Prosper (The New Diplomat Delta State Correspondent)
The quest for the emergence of Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in the 2023 general election by the Ohaneze-Ndigbo may have run into some hitches given the threat of Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB), not to support any presidential candidate from the South East.
IPOB, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, alleged that all the people being prepared for the position are stooges that will be used against the interest of Ndigbo, the Biafran agenda and the group.
This is coming at a time when the National Chairman of Association of Local Government Vice-Chairmen of Nigeria, ALGOVC and leader of the APC South East Forum, Hon. Lawrence Onuchukwu called on the Nigerian political class to close rank and work for the realisation of Igbo presidency in 2023.
Onuchukwu, who made the call at the end of year party organised by the APC South East Forum AMAC, equally asked the people of the South East to join APC massively so as to brighten the chances of Igbo in the forthcoming presidential race.
He had noted that since 1999 when the nation began the present political dispensation, the Igbo have never tasted the number one slot, therefore, it was high time Nigerian political class concede the slot to the South East in 2023.
He argued that since fairness demands that all the zones in Nigeria must be taken along in the governance of the country, therefore, the South East region should be given opportunity in 2023.
While recalling the Igbo political antecedent beginning from the nation’s first republic, he boasted that Igbo have never played politics of opposition and always belonged to the ruling party.
But IPOB spokesman, Mr Powerful disagreed with the South East leaders over their emphasis on having a President of Igbo extraction.
According to IPOB, those at the forefront of the agitation are people who openly worked against the late Dr Alex Ekwueme at the Jos Peoples Democratic Party convention for the candidature of the President of Nigeria in 1999, noting the dissident group would not join the Ohaneze-Ndigbo in its quest.
Powerful said what such people did to the late Ekwueme was similarly done to Peter Obi, in 2019 when he contested with Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as his running mate, alleging that they conspired and did not support or campaign for Obi despite being in the same political party – PDP, with him.
The IPOB statement reads, “We cannot support any person that will kill us; that will mean the end of Biafra emancipation as we know. It is still fresh in our minds what transpired at Jos PDP convention when the the late Dr Alex Ekwueme contested for the candidature of the President of Nigeria under the PDP in 1999.
“Then the likes of Jim Nwobodo, Orji Uzo Kalu and virtually every other Igbo delegate at that convention voted against him. These Igbo men sabotaged Igbo presidency then, what has changed since 1999 that will make them come out now to shamefully clamour for the same Igbo presidency they publicly rejected in 1999?
“Similarly, when Mr Peter Obi in 2019 was contesting as running mate to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Governor Dave Umahi and his co-travellers in conspiratory business did not support or campaign for him despite being in the same political party – PDP.
“We are surprised that these people shouting President of Igbo extraction today but sabotaged their own people yesterday think we have forgotten; they also think others will support them when it is their turn.”
According to IPOB, “Besides, if these myopic and self-centred fellows think producing the President of Nigeria will solve the problem of Ndigbo: when Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw man from South-South was Nigeria’s President for six years, what did he do for the East in general and Ijaw people in particular?
IPOB expressed the fear that the same northern oligarchy that did not allow Jonathan to operate freely will still not allow any stooge they may eventually appoint from Igboland to succeed.
“So, it makes no sense clamouring for what won’t proffer any solution to our problems. The few major roads built in South-East and South-South were done, not by an Igbo man, yet none of these traitors masquerading as Igbo leaders today has been able to compel their slave masters to rehabilitate them. Most of these self-acclaimed Igbo and Old Eastern region leaders are caliphate bred traitors and we cannot trust them.”
