Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, has officially endorsed the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for the 2023 general elections.
Ohaneze said Obi represented what it called the Nigerian conscience, moral probity, generational hope, redemption epiphany, and above all, the Igbo collective unconscious.
The Igbo body, which stated this in a statement on Sunday titled, ‘2023: On SMBLF Position We Stand,’ signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, noted that the Labour Party’s candidate had filled what could have been a sad gap if he had not been on the ballot.
The statement said, ‘In the first place, going by the principles of zoning and rotation of power in Nigeria, which have been in existence since 1999, it is the turn of the South East of Nigeria to produce the president in 2023.
‘Second, Ohaneze Ndigbo has canvassed to various eminent persons in Nigeria, seeking their support for the presidency in the South East come 2023. We are delighted by the responses from various groups and highly placed patriotic Nigerians.
‘Third, Ohaneze works in collaboration with the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), comprising the Afenifere, PANDEF, Middle Belt Leaders, and Ohaneze Ndigbo, led by an elder statesman, Chief E. K. Clarke.
The group, in its quest for Nigerian unity, peace, and sustainable national development, has endorsed Mr Peter Obi as its candidate for the 2023 general elections.’
It added, ‘On the other hand, Ohaneze brought a commodity to the market and now the world is clamouring for it. We are rather excited, happy, and fulfilled that Nigeria is now in full possession of the commodity.’
Ohaneze stated that it endorsed Obi not only based on equity and justice but also on merit, competence, a track record of accomplishments, and the veritable ideas that Obi espoused for a better Nigeria.
The apex Igbo body noted that despite concerns that Labour Party had no structure, the Obidient Movement was what it described as a massive disruptive reaction against the deplorable Nigerian pathologies.
‘People use the Obi phenomenon to express dissatisfaction with the status quo. It is a revolt against injustice, poverty, unemployment, corruption, and all other forms of vicious circles that have become the trademark of Nigeria. In other words, every revolution is a structural change,’ the group added.