Why we endorsed Atiku, by Ohanaeze

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has explained  why it endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar because Ndigbo were completely down.

President General of the organization, John Nnia Nwodo who made the clarification in a Solid FM radio station programme monitored by The Nation’s correspondent, said he who is on ground fears no fall hence the decision.

“We are completely down, he who is on ground fears no fall; they cannot treat us worse than they are treating us now. Ohanaeze cannot be on the sideline,” he stated.

Nwodo said he sees the forthcoming election as a war to change the status of Ndigbo in Nigeria, banish unemployment among youths in Igboland.

His words: “It is a war to banish unemployment among youths in Igboland, it is a war to have sovereignty on our natural resources, it is a war to be recognized as equal partners”.

Reacting to arguments the organisation should have applied diplomacy in endorsing a candidate, Nwodo said Ndigbo was completely down.

Further explaining why the organization took the action, Nwodo said the PDP has given an avowed commitment to restructuring not only in its manifesto but by its presidential candidate.

The Ohanaeze President General said the PDP Presidential candidate has given his commitment to restructuring not just in his campaigns but also in his speeches in Nigeria and abroad.

Nwodo further pointed Atiku also chose one of their sons in the person of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, whom he said is not a bench warmer as his running mate.

Recalling Obi’s achievement as governor of Anambra State, Nwodo said: “He has husbanded the resources of Anambra State so creditably that no governor in Nigeria left the amount of savings he left for his state”.

The former minister therefore said he does not think that if Obi chairs the National Economic Council of Nigeria, he will be quiet on the economic neglect of the South east.

“I don’t think Peter Obi is someone who can chair the National Executive Council Meeting of Nigeria and be quiet on the neglect of the South east”.

On the allegations some people were excluded when the decision to endorse Atiku was taken, Nwodo said they sent out circulars to everybody, adding that out of the 24 members of NEC, 22 attended while 21 voted in favour of the decision.

Credit: The Nation