A political group, Initiative for Demonstrating Change, on Wednesday, picked hole in the presidential ambition of the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, saying it was a plot to scuttle the target of the Igbo to become president in 2023.
It said that Igbo’s quest to be president come 2023 would not be fulfilled if another candidate other than President Muhammadu Buhari is returned in the 2019 general election.
National coordinator of the group, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, however, advised the leaders of the South East region to consider the greater opportunity to produce president in 2023 after President Buhari has served out his tenure and vote accordingly.
This is even as he advised Atiku Abubakar to “stop wasting his resources and energy” trying to oust President Buhari, predicting that the move would end in futility.
According to Ogah, “anybody supporting Atiku whether from South East or any other regions is anti-Igbo, and such moves would be resisted vehemently for the realization of the long hope of occupying the presidential position.”
Ogah stressed that Atiku’s ambition would not only deprive Ndigbo the near opportunity of becoming the President but would backtrack the development and support which the region has enjoyed under the Buhari-led Federal Government.
The group, however, suggested to the former Vice-President and any other aspirant to wait till after 12 years when both Buhari and Igbo President must have completed their two-terms each before renewing their presidential ambitions.
Ogah, therefore, urged all Ndigbo to forge a common front in the next presidential election irrespective of party affiliations and support the re-election of Buhari so as to pave way for the emergence of Igbo president.
“Atiku should stop wasting his money and energy trying to score cheap political points against President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration” Ogah warned. “We want to state categorically that Atiku’s ambition is totally against the hope of Igbo’s Presidency in 2023. We should resist that because it will bring bad luck and underdevelopment to our region.”
“If any other person irrespective of his political party should clinch the Presidential seat, it therefore means that we have to wait for another eight years to renew our hope and agitation for ruling this country. We want Buhari back as a person no matter any party he may choose to run with. We have to support the Buhari’s All Progressives Congress if we must succeed him in 2023.
“We therefore appeal to leaders and all Ndigbo to eschew party politics and forge a common front to actualize Igbo’s supreme agenda in 2023. We have to unite ourselves as a people devoid of party politics to further achieve our goals. We also appeal to our brothers and sisters from other regions to support the re-election of the President” said Ogah.
The group noted that anybody thinking that Igbo would produce the next president without supporting the re-election of President Buhari is not only hallucinating but also deceiving himself or herself.
Meanwhile, Ogah vowed that his group would mobilize millions of voters across the south east states to vote massively for the re-election of the President with his launch of Neighbour to Neighbour canvassers in the region.
