Ahead of political parties’ primaries for the 2023 general elections, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has disclosed that it would next week commence screening for a consensus aspirant to be supported for the Presidency from the South East.
National Publicity Secretary of the body, Chief Alex Ogbonnia who disclosed this a chat with Saturday Sun, said the apex Igbo socio-cultural body had delayed action on the issue because people were still purchasing the expression of interest and nomination forms of their various parties.
Ogbonnia said Ohanaeze would not allow its sons and daughters take suicidal actions in the primaries of the political parties by fielding several aspirants.
Four of the presidential aspirants from the zone on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), namely: Anyim Pius Anyim, Peter Obi, Sam Ohuabunwa, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, had in a surprise move in Abuja on April 9, agreed to fight as a bloc for the party’s ticket.
After their meeting, the quartet agreed to fight as a team and throw their weight behind any of them that is eventually best favoured.
Giving indications on the plans and efforts of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in actualizing a President of Igbo origin next year, Ogbonnia said: “By next week we will begin to look into the issue of consensus. Having a consensus will not be a problem because the people we are going to screen are all Igbo sons and daughters, so we already know them. We have their track records.
“We won’t allow a cocoon of three or four Igbo contesting against one person from the north in a political party because that will be suicidal.”
Ohanaeze, he said, was waiting for the aspirants to conclude buying forms so that they would be able to know who the actual aspirants are and the political parties they intend to pursue their ambition.
“We have not zeroed in on consensus because people are still buying forms. Just the other day we learnt that Chris Ngige and Ken Nnamani have joined the race in the APC and we are happy with that.
“Recall that Ohanaeze had urged more political chieftains from the South East to throw their hats into the ring for the Presidency of Nigeria because it is our turn. So, we are going to prune down the number and settle for certain qualities we are looking for,” the Ohanaeze spokesman said.
Speakers at the civic reception organized by the Imo State Government for the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor, urged him (Obiozor) to, as a matter of urgency, convene a meeting of the Ime Obi Ohanaeze, so that they would give him the mandate to pronounce the position of Ndigbo on the 2023 Presidency.
