Igbo leaders give direction for 2019
The President of South East Elders Forum, and former President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife has enjoined people of his cultural zone to be more like spectators in the 2019 general elections as they have no major stake in the poll.
He said the All Progressives Congress(APC) which came with a lot of promises has fallen short of the people’s expectations and has become almost a disappointment to Nigerians.
Ikedife said the PDP has zoned its presidency to the North, hence for the Igbo, the choice between the APC and the main opposition party is like between the devil and the deep blue sea.
He also reasoned that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) doesn’t have the national clout, adding that it is only Anambra that it is controlling but expressed confidence that Imo and Abia states will fall for the party(APGA) in the next governorship elections.
Toeing the same line of thought on the 2019 election, former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwemeka Ezeife called on the Igbo to tread with caution, and to study the situation.
He warned the Igbo not to take any hasty action, stating: “As it is now, I doubt if APC can win any election, while PDP is wobbling to organise itself. A third force can be organised, which doesn’t have to be Igbo, but something for all Nigerians. This third force must champion proper restructuring.”
He added: “Whatever we restructure, there are many issues, which are national. The issue of desertification is national, no matter what structure states of the regions adopt. The same goes for soil erosion.
“We want a new Nigeria. The present Nigeria is dead; it has failed woefully; it has failed man and it has also failed God. We need to remake Nigeria; a new Nigeria is what we have to make”.
He expressed satisfaction over the recent Anambra State gubernatorial election won by APGA, and was optimistic that Imo and Abia would go to APGA.
Also, the first Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazuluike Amaechi, said President Buhari has the constitutional right to go for a second term but that the PDP fielding a northern candidate would prepare the ground for the emergence of a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction.
“This is the realistic thing to do. The Igbo should be patient; it may come a time like it happened in 1999, when the Southwest presented presidential candidates of the two political parties, and head or tail, they won”, he said.
