The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has threatened to dump the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar wins its 2023 presidential ticket.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural group said Atiku by now should have retired from partisan politics and adopt a humble position of an elder statesman, Bibian Anekwe News reports.
Ohanaeze warned the presidential hopeful against desperation to lead the country, urging him to dump his bid and support a younger aspirant in the PDP.
According to the Igbo group, though the aspirant the right to contest, age and region, however, is not in Atiku’s favour to win the 2023 election, hence he should dump his aspiration immediately.
Ohanaeze went on to say that the current security challenges facing the South-East are a result of Igbo loyalty to Atiku in 2019.
Bibian Anekwe News understands that Ohanaeze was reacting to Atiku’s recent boastful stance of winning the 2023 PDP Presidential ticket again, describing such belief as nostalgic.
“Atiku has misread the mood of the nation ahead of 2023, and this miscalculation may retire him from partisan politics in 2023,” Ohanaeze said in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
He said, “Atiku has the constitutional rights to aspire to the office of President in 2023, but one had expected him not to rock the boat now that the odds are against him based on his age and his region.
“He should not fight dirty or appear desperate for the presidency, rather it’s time for him to voluntarily quit partisan politics and take his rightful place in history as an elder statesman without being dishonoured and disgraced.
“Ndigbo had expected that Atiku Abubakar should support a younger person, for 2023, especially after the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike openly denounced Atiku’s proposal for him to be his running mate in 2023. It is enough message and signal to him that 2023 is exclusively reserved for a Southern President.”
The Igbo group further warned Atiku and other politicians that any promotion of the northern continuation in power after 8 years of President Muhammadu Buhari would be seen as callous, voracious and selfish.
Ohanaeze stressed that the Ndigbo showed enough loyalty to the PDP and Atiku Abubakar in 2019, and the present predicaments and penalties facing the Southeast today was as a result of the support Ndigbo gave to Atiku and the PDP.
Ohanaeze vowed that in 2023, Igbos will dump PDP if Atiku wins the opposition party’s ticket.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo in alliance with other ethnic groups will ensure that any political party that refuses to zone their presidential ticket to the South will suffer in the 2023 presidential election, If Atiku continues, he will surely taste the venom of Nigerians in the PDP primaries and disgrace awaits him,” Ohanaeze warned.
Bibian Anekwe News
