Group urges Ibo to support Buhari’s re-election

An Igbo cultural organisation, Igboezue Cultural Advancement Initiate, ICAI, has called on Ndigbo to support President Mohammadu Buhari for.a second term in office, pointing out that Buhari’s second term might pave way for Igbo presidency, come 2023.
Igboezue posited that it would be bearable to have Buhari again as a president rather than Atiku for probably another eight years.
Leader of the group, Chief Chekwas Okorie, who addressed journalists in Enugu Thursday posited that Ndigbo have had a PDP government without much to show for it and pointed out that Buhari who has done much in his first tenure should be allowed to continue.
Okorie, who is also the national chairman and leader of United Progressive Party, UPP, said that they arrived at the conclusion following a deep analysis that PDP has nothing to offer Ndigbo especially as it concerns restructuring of Nigeria and the Igbo presidency.
“Arising from.our deep analysis and wide consultations, Igboezue has resolved to collaborate with the United Progressive Party, UPP, to chart the political way forward for Ndigbo in Nigeria.
” Consequently, Igboezue is in total agreement with UPP in its revolutionary agenda as encapsulated in the party manifesto and objective principle of its constitution concerning restructuring, self – determination of Nigerian ethnic nationalities, referendum, devolution of power, state police and community policing, unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, etc.
“While holding these principles sacrosanct, we also align with UPP in its wise decision to endorse and adopt President Muhammad Buhari as presidential candidate for the 2019 election,” Okorie said.
The Igboezue leader said that as a group, apart endorsing President Buhari, they would ensure that he emerges victorious in 2019 so as to make way for an Igbo presidency come 2023, pointing out that PDP had planned it that Ndigbo will not smell the presidency for about 150 years to come.
“We will do everything within our power to ensure that Ndigbo do not put their political eggs in one basket either now or in the future. We shall work for the completion of President Buhari’s second term in office in order to pave way for a patriotic Igbo man or woman to be elected president of Nigeria in 2023.
“In this regard, we strongly believe that four more years of President Buhari’s government is by far better and more bearable than the possible eight years of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar administration which will bring back to our people the sad memories of 16 years of PDP emasculation of Ndigbo,” he said.
On whether his support nfor Buhari is not based on percuniary consideration calculated to mortgage Igbo political interest,Okorie however said that while supporting Buhari for second term, if they find out that he would not facilitate Igbo presidency in 2023, they will switch their loyalty.
The Igboezue leader pointed out that all the people in both PDP and APC are passengers because they are nowhere in the political equation in Nigeria since the Fulani’s have the presidency and the South West have important positions while the South South are occupying the leadership of the two main political parties in Nigeria, Ndigbo are nowhere and this the time to align with the winning party to actualise their political aspiration.
Okorie noted that Ndigbo would not like to be in opposition by insisting that they should be in only one party or the other but where they will be favoured and wished to see the Igbo man become president in Nigeria before he dies.
Asked to name Buhari’s achievements in the South East,Okorie said that their support for Buhari is not mainly because of his performance but for exigency saying that he looks forward to witness an Igbo presidency Buhari’s second tenure might bring.
“My prayer is to be alive to see an Igbo man emerge Igbo president,” he said