The Acting National Leader of the youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Jones Onwusoanya, has kicked against the aspiration of the former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, to run for the 2023 general election.
Senator Okorocha, who represents Imo West Senatorial District, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had on Monday declared his intention in a letter to the Senate President which was read at plenary.
But Onwusoanya, in a statement on Monday, argued that Okorocha’s declaration to run for president is not in the best interest of the Igbo nation.
He added that the senator’s ambition is a willful affront on Igbo’s collective authority demonstrated by his romance with a discredited impostor parading himself as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide which has cleared every doubt that his ambition to govern Nigeria is both anti-Igbo and anti-Nigeria.
He further claimed that Okorocha’s attempt to impose Chidi Ibeh as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo exposed him as a man consumed by personal insecurity and a master of impunity who is only interested in using the Nigerian presidency to confer constitutional immunity on himself.
He stated, “It also shows that should the Ogboko born multi-billionaire have the slightest opportunity he would declare himself the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, even without purchasing nomination forms.
“It might interest any discerning reader to note that a man who was governor for eight years and currently serving as a lawmaker in the upper legislative chambers of our National Assembly has continued to recognize and even at a time sponsored Chidi Ibeh and his cohort, Okechukwu Isiguzoro to criminally invade and attempted to forcefully take over the national Secretariate of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization.’’
Continuing, Onwusoanya noted, “the Nigerian constitution which anyone who becomes Nigeria’s President is expected to swear to uphold criminalizes acts of impersonation and extortion, acts which Okorocha’s proteges, Ibeh and Isiguzoro are currently enmeshed in and bring protected by their principal and Chief sponsor, Rochas Okorocha. Supporting a man who funds some individuals to disparage his own people just for his personal political aggrandizements is not very different from supporting someone who finances the destruction of his community to ascend the sacred throne of the Kingdom”.
He further insisted that until Okorocha reverses his irresponsible affront on collective integrity and authority of the Igbo, he is not qualified as a candidate for the presidency of Nigeria, especially, at this auspicious time, when Ndigbo are investing their best efforts towards convincing other Nigerians to support their kin to govern the country.
“It is quite unfortunate that the man from Ogboko who is on his fourth presidential voyage is set to have what is certain to be his worst ever political outing, in his over two decades of active political involvement.
“If a man cannot accept the decision of the majority of his own people, but insists on imposing his own will on the people, even while he doesn’t have any executive powers, then, it would be outright dangerous to empower such a man with such power as the Commander-in-Chief of Africa’s largest nation. This is a very dangerous signal for one who wants to be President,” he said.