Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has reacted to the emergency of the former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate, in the 2023 elections.
The apex Igbo socio-political organization said PDP and its presidential candidate will pay for reducing the party to a regional or Northern platform where Southerners have no place, adding that Atiku cannot be president of Nigeria.
Ohanaeze made the remark in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro on Sunday while reacting to the PDP presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The statement reads: “It’s amusing that PDP is now a Political party for the Northern region, with Dr. Iyocha Ayu as PDP chair, Walid Jubril as BOT Chair and Atiku Abubakar as 2023 PDP Presidential candidate.
“PDP has fulfilled her threats to sideline the Igbo in 2023 and we will carefully answer back to them.
“Another Northerner, Senator David Mark supervised the process that schemed out Igbo from PDP. The consequences of the 2022 PDP convention will be a discontinuity of milking of Igbo votes by a party that butchered the Igbo’s dream.
“We are waiting for the APC presidential primary to take the final decision on whether or not Igbos will participate in the 2023 elections.
“Atiku Abubakar will be opposed in the South-East, and no Igbo is anticipated to champion or project Atiku Presidency in the East. Nobody is going to take the risk of campaigning for Atiku in the East since the PDP is now a regional northern political party. Atiku will not have Igbo support him in 2023, he cannot be the President of Nigeria in 2023.
“Ndigbo will rise against PDP and Atiku Abubakar as a prize for PDP’s ingratitude and dishonesty against Igbo.”