Boycotting 2019 Polls is voting for Buhari-Ohanaeze Warns IPOB
accuses PDP Govs of working for Buhari Igbo Mandate Congress calls for harmonized position
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council in Abuja have advised Nnamdi Kanu and the IPOB against boycotting 2019 elections, saying it is tantamount to giving the Buhari led APC another four years tenure;
Speaking with the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress, IMC, Rev Dr Obinna Akukwe in Abakaliki after convocation ceremony of Alex Ekwueme Federal University , Ndufu Alike, Ikwo, in Ebonyi State, The Chairman of tthe Elders Council and former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chuekawuemeka Ezeife said that the position of Ohanaeze is that every igbo man should participate actively in the elections..
Rejecting the arguments of leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that elections should not hold in the South East, ‘Okwadike Igboukwu’ said that “if IPOB says they do not want Buhari, they should vote him out. If they boycott the elections, the status quo will remain and Buhari and APC will have a free ticket to the Presidency”
Enplaning further, he said that “Igbos cannot afford not to vote in this election. They have the number of voters to influence the outcome of the polls but if they sit at home, then they have denied themselves the opportunity of changing what they perceive as oppressive system. There is no reasonable argument that Igbos should boycott the polls”
The Ohanaeze Chieftain said that Nnamdi Kanu have commendably made efforts which put the Biafran and Igbo agitations in the front burner but he should be careful not to overstretch in order not to diminish his achievements. Explaining further he said that “ Kanu had put the Igbo and Biafran question to the front burner, and I admire the courage of the young man I had talked with him especially when he called for the boycott of Anambra elections and he told me that if election is boycotted they will postpone it. The Anambra election held because they will not postpone anything, they will manipulate it in favour of whosoever they wished.. Therefore Igbos should vote in the coming elections and stand where their conscience asks them to stand, just as they did in 2015. They should not be afraid of speaking with one voice’’
Dr Ezeife told Rev Akukwe and his team that the problems associated with Atiku’s choice of Peter Obi is being handled by Ohanaeze and that Obi still appears to be the most widely accepted candidate for the running mate. He said that Ohanaeze in Abuja is still pacifying those who felt that they should have been selected as running mate .He described Peter Obi as “a good manager of resources, who thinned down the paraphernalia of government to save money for the state. He was a billionaire before venturing into politics and he left developmental strides all over Anambra State. I think in Peter Obi, the Igbos produced their best”
Dr Ezeife expressed worry that some PDP governors in the South East appears to be working for the APC . He also expressed worry that a close aide of APGA led government in Anambra State is openly campaigning for Buhari. According to him “It is worrisome that some PDP governors are working for APC in the South East. In Anambra State, a senior political appointee under Governor Obiano is openly campaigning for Buhari, I do hope that these people knows what they are doing"
Dr Ezeife described the much touted Igbo Presidency project n 2023 touted by the APC apologists as spurious. According to him " i want to reiterate once more that Igbo presidency is good but with the present security and economic situation, I doubt whether Nigeria will survive till 2023. Therefore, let Nigeria survive first then Igbo presidency can follow suit. With this APC led government in power, Nigeria may disintegrate before 2023"
The leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress had raised alarm the third time that South East Governors are working for Buhari while Ohanaeze happens to be still consulting on the situation thereby creating confusion in the South East .In response, Dr Ezeiife asked the group to continue with their ongoing sensitization for a harmonized position.. He said that Ohanaeze will organize an enlarged meeting of Igbo political office holder from across the political divides in Abuja and speak with them on the current situation as it concerns Ndigbo.