Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s stance of winning the 2023 PDP presidential ticket as a nostalgic belief, adding that Igbos will dump PDP in 2023 if Atiku wins the presidential ticket.
According to Ohanaeze, Atiku’s statement has painted him as a desperate politician swimming against the political currents and tides of the moment.
The Igbo apex group stated this in a statement signed by its Secretary-General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and made available to newsmen on Monday.
The group also lauded the middle belt and southern leaders for supporting an Igbo president come 2023.
The statement reads: “Atiku has misread the mood of the nation ahead of 2023, and this miscalculation may retire him from partisan politics in 2023.
“Atiku has the constitutional right to aspire for the office of President in 2023, but one had expected him not to rock the boat now that the odds are against him based on his age and his region.
“He should not fight dirty or appear desperate for the presidency. Rather it’s time for him to voluntarily quit partisan politics and take his rightful place in history as an elder statesman without being dishonoured and disgraced.
“Ndigbo had expected that Atiku Abubakar should support a younger person for 2023, especially after the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike openly denounced Atiku’s proposal for him to be his running mate in 2023.
“This is enough message and signal to him that 2023 is exclusively reserved for a Southern president, and Atiku should search his conscience and support an Igbo in the PDP primaries to avert a disgraceful end of his political career.
“The Southern Nigerian leaders and governors have vowed that it’s unhealthy for another northerner to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
“In 2019, Ndigbo showed enough loyalty to the PDP and Atiku Abubakar, and the present predicaments and penalties facing the Southeast today was the 2019 Igbo support given to Atiku and PDP.
“But in 2023, Igbos will dump PDP if Atiku wins the PDP ticket.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo in alliance with other ethnic groups will ensure that any political party that refuses to zone their presidential ticket to the South will suffer in the 2023 presidential election.”
The Ohanaeze added that “any promotion of northern continuation after eight years of President Buhari from any individual is callous, voracious and selfish.”