2019: Ohaneze Endorses Atiku, Obi Ticket

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Friday, January 25th, 2019

From Ignatius Okpara

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The apex Igbo umbrella body, Ohaneze Indigbo has endorsed and adopted former Nigeria’s Vice President and Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Ahaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi as their candidates for the 2019 Presidential election.

This endorsement was made known Thursday night via a communique personally signed by the President-General of the organization, chief Nnia Nwodo and made available to news men in Enugu at the end of their cacuas meeting held in Enugu.

The communque read thus: “after a critical and dispassionate appraisal of the issues and the visible fault lines in our polity, including the analysis of the election manifestos of the various contesting parties, especially with regards to the restructuring of the Federation and continued relevance of our people in the Nigerian geopolitical space, the meeting resolved as follows:

“That Ohaneze remains the apex socio-cultural organization that works for the interest of the Igbo in and outside Nigeria. It attempts to aggregate the views of all other Igbo platforms;

“Ohaneze notes particularly that a major political party (PDP) by the nomination of our son Peter Obi as the Vice Presidential candidate has given Ndigbo an opportunity for inclusiveness. Ndigbo must seize the moment.

“That the Presidential candidate of PDP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has made an avowed commitment to restructuring of the Federation and reconfirmed same during his recent visit to the United States in his meetings high-level US officials.

“In consideration of the above and other relevant existential factors pertaining to the treatment of the Igbo in our polity, the Ime Obi Ohaneze, (caucus) therefore, hereby ratify the decision reached at the Ohaneze National Executive Committee (NEC)meeting held in Enugu on Tuesday 22 January, 2019, to adopt the Atiku Abubakar/ Peter Obi ticket in the 2019 presidential election.

“Ime Obi therefore, endorses and embraces fully, this ticket without equivocation, especially with regards to the position of Ndigbo at the AWKA Declaration which insisted on a complete restructuring of the Nigerian polity.

It added: “Ohaneze urges Ndigbo to see their PVCs as their most potent tool to ensure a restructured polity and for a better society.

The statement said: “The meeting further called on the international community to help to ensure a free and credible 2019 elections in Nigeria; Finally, Ohaneze urges all Igbo to come out and vote and to protect their votes.