The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has asked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to drop his presidential ambition to uphold the unity of the Nigerian nation.
The Igbo group warned that if the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, hands the former Vice President its 2023 presidential ticket, it would cause a total disintegration of Nigeria.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Imo State capital, the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, said the council frowns at what he described as “the undue desperation of Atiku Abubakar to pick the presidential ticket of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.”
The Igbo youth group said, “If PDP denies a southeasterner Presidential ticket, the only thing over 50 million Igbo youths must ensure is to keep Nigeria one by massively voting APC presidential candidate from the southeast, and no PDP office/flag from ward level to state level will stand erect in the southeast. We’ll fight PDP like Yakubu Gowon did to keep Nigeria one.
According to the council, “Atiku Abubakar should go to the history line of PDP formation from G34 led by Dr Alex Ekwueme before it became a political party, to ascertain that the southeast has paid the ultimate sacrifice in PDP more than any other zone in Nigeria.”
Speaking further, the group reiterated that southeastern people had contributed to the formation, building, as well as sustaining PDP as the biggest party in Africa.
“Atiku Abubakar’s call to contest in PDP is a call to interrupt the Unity and Peace in Nigeria and such move will lead to National political disaster, anarchy and tribal crises that will sink Nigeria.
“If PDP denies a southeasterner Presidential ticket, the only thing over 50 million Igbo youths must ensure is to keep Nigeria one by massively voting APC Presidential candidate from Southeast, and no PDP office/flag from ward level to state level will stand erect in Southeast. We’ll fight PDP like Yakubu Gowon did to keep Nigeria one.
“PDP must avoid using Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal and other selfish presidential Aspirants that are not from Southeast to disintegrate or cause Nigeria her national unity,” Igboayaka maintained.
“It’s derogatory that Atiku Abubakar boasted how he used Ben Obi and Peter Obi as running mates. Atiku Abubakar should know that if any Nigerian desires to see Nigeria as the ‘Giant of Africa’ as proposed by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa), then it’s high time he dropped his presidential ambition and support a credible and competent presidential aspirant from Southeast to build the Nigeria of Zik vision,” he stated.
“Atiku Abubakar must awaken his human consciousness and realize that among the Six geo-political Zone in Nigeria, Southeast gave him the overwhelming highest vote, which led the present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari to nick-name Southeastern people 5%. Therefore, it is historical that Atiku Abubakar and PDP family is owing the southeastern people reciprocation gratitude in the 2023 presidential election.”