Spokesman of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East, Mr. Osita Okechukwu has cautioned the umbrella body of Igbo people, Ohanaeze Ndigbo against putting their eggs in the same political basket as the nation prepares for general elections in February.
This even as he commended the body for “shooting down” a motion for the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan as the candidate of the Igbos in the 2015 presidential election.
Osita Okechukwu, in a statement, described those that opposed the motion, which was moved by a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, at the Imeobi (inner caucus) meeting of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Saturday as “true Igbo patriots.”
He was glad that “Ndigbo have realized that it doesn’t make sense to put all our eggs in one basket, especially when the political scenario in the 2015 presidential election differs remarkably from that of 2011 when Jonathan was endorsed.
“Ohanaeze by refusing to endorse President Jonathan has taken a cue from Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s New Year sermon at the Adoration Ground, that Nigeria needs change for the better.
“As Mbaka said, ‘I love President Jonathan and I used to be his fan, but I want good for my people and that’s why I want Nigerians to vote out Jonathan and vote Buhari.”
According to Okechukwu: “If the Hausas have spread their dragnets in both PDP and APC and Yorubas have spread their dragnets in both PDP and APC, then Ndigbo should not blame anybody for marginalization in the event of APC’s victory in the forth coming 14th February 2015 presidential election.”
He stressed that the APC in the South East believes that Ohanaeze Ndigbo should remain neutral in the 2015 general elections as there are Igbos in all the parties.
“Igbos are not only in PDP – we have Igbo sons and daughters in APC, the main opposition party in the country today.
“Our son, Chief Chekwas Okorie, is contesting under UPP, what happens to him if we endorse Jonathan?
“Ohanaeze is a polygamous father, we must spread our dragnet like our contemporaries in the Nigeria project.
“Like the Hausas and Yorubas, we should take the battle to every flank, not just one flank because if we channel all our arsenals to one flank, and it goes the other flank at the end of the day, nobody will take us serious if tomorrow again we start complaining about marginalization,” he said.
He said that only the self serving Igbo politicians could rise up in the midst of the prevailing political scenario which favours APC to canvass for Jonathan’s endorsement. [myad]
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