2023: Ohanaeze ties APC’s success in South East to creation of additional state

A faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, hinged the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections on the creation of an additional state for the South East region by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The Chidi Ibeh-led faction of the Igbo apex socio-cultural group expressed reservations that the party would lose the remaining four states in the South East to the opposition in 2023 if the ruling party failed to create an additional state for the region, as being requested.

In a statement obtained by The Guardian in Abakaliki, Secretary-General of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, enjoined the APC-led administration to create an additional state for the South East to upturn the recent gaffes and losses and for the party to make inroads in the zone, especially with its loss in the recent Anambra State governorship election.

He maintained that Ndigbo has never faired well in opposition political parties, adding that they were constantly known for aligning with the mainstream party since 1960.

Isiguzoro lamented that since 2015, despite the purported level of improved infrastructure development in the South East, the national leadership of APC wondered why the party had continued to fail in the South East during elections and that 2023 would not be an exception if the right decisions were not taken.

He argued that APC would continue to fail because it had yet to do the right things, as it had done in the South West and other regions.

“For an instant, the Federal Government granted M.K.O. Abiola the rights of a President and declare June 12 as Democracy Day to pacify the South West even when they have key positions in the government including the office of the Vice President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The Buhari government also agreed to clean up Ogoniland, built Maritime University at Okerenkoko, opened up the standard gauge of railways in Delta State and proposed presidential pardon for the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and others for the Niger Delta people. The only thing the South East expects is an additional state,” he stated.

He disclosed that the group had received the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Committee report on the creation of an additional state for the South East, which approved Aba State, adding: “We thank members of the committee for the excellent job and unbiased report.”