Amaechi is right about Igbo not being in the race for 2023 presidency- Ohaneze sec-gen

Chidi Samuel|

The secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Uche Okwukwu on Monday backed Chibuike Amaechi’s statement that the Igbo is out the equation in the race for the 2023 presidency.

Okwukwu who described Amaechi’s statement as “nothing but the truth”, said those who attacked him over the statement were politically ignorant.

It will be recalled that the former Rivers state governor had in a recent intervier dismissed the chances of the Igbo in 2023 presidency as they have nothing to bring to the negotiation table given the way they voted in the last presidential election.

The statement, has however, not gone down well with Igbo stakeholders.

But in a statement on Monday, Okwukwu not only supported Amaechi’s conclusion, he also called on those who criticised him should apologise to the transport minister.

The statement read, “In the past few days, I have followed the hopeless and unnecessary attacks by a few misguided and politically ignorant Igbo sons against the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, because of the truthful comment he made about the Igbo quest for the Presidency in 2023.”

“Amaechi predictable assertion to the effect that Ndigbo has by an act of omission or commission shot themselves out of the presidency come 2023 is nothing but the truth.

“To the best of my knowledge as the Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the suspended President General Chief John Nwodo betrayed Amaechi and the Igbo race as he (Nwodo) had earlier spoken with and agreed with him (Amaechi) that Ohanaeze Ndigbo will be neutral by not endorsing any candidate for the presidential election. In 2015, Ohanaeze took this path and failed.

“Regrettably, Nwodo and the likes of Mazi Okwu Nnabuike purportedly endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar without affording Amaechi (then director-general, Buhari campaign organization), the opportunity to present the reasons for the president’s bid for a second term.

“Amaechi and his fellow patriots had argued that it was better for Ndigbo to vote massively for President Buhari to provide them the space to politically and morally demand for an Igbo President in 2023. The Question is, if Atiku had won, will Nnabuike be asking for the presidency in 2023. The obvious answer is no.”

“Admittedly, Amaechi cannot determine the politically future of Ndigbo alone, but he as an Igbo and other progressives can influence the political future of Ndigbo,” Okwukwu noted.

“He has the political and strategic experience and had commanded a campaign organization twice and secured victory twice, while Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and his likes had blindly endorsed failure twice.”