Outcome of primaries orchestrated by political elites to deny Southeast president, says Ohanaeze

The President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, yesterday, stated that the outcomes of the primaries of the two major political parties in Nigeria were orchestrated by the political elites to deny the South-east presidential slot.

Obiozor was reacting for the first time since the conclusion of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 elections.

Obiozor, who had remained silent about the outcome of the primaries, broke his silence yesterday morning in a statement he titled: “What does Nigeria want from Ndigbo?”

In the statement, he said: “It is clear that the Nigerian national political elites have successfully orchestrated to deny the Southeast an opportunity to produce the president of Nigeria come 2023.”

According to him: “By this machination, some Nigerian leaders have demonstrated gross historic injustice towards Ndigbo, beyond our expectations.”

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader, currently convalescing in a Dubai hospital, insisted that by the deliberate injustice Nigeria has failed the Rotary Club International four-way tests: First – Of the things we think, say or do: Is it the truth? Second – Is it fair to all concerned? Third – Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And Fourth – Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Urging Ndigbo not to lament much but wait for the verdict of history, he expressed his conviction that in the end, the political manipulation would end in “a Pyrrhic victory for those who rejoice and celebrate injustice.”

Obiozor, who conveyed his statement through the National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, however, commended Nigerian statesmen and patriots across the country, who supported the idea for the South-East to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023, based on the country’s proven history of rotation of power between the north and the south as well as commitment to equity, justice and fairness.

He asked Ndigbo to stop lamenting the outcome of the presidential primaries of the two main political parties and wait for the verdict of history.

The Southeast presidential aspirants in the two mainstream political parties lost in the primaries, despite the overwhelming agitation from the region to be allowed to produce the next president of the country based on equity, justice and fairness, and in the spirit of rotational presidency between the North and South.

While Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor from the Southwest, emerged the presidential candidate of the ruling APC, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar from the Northeast emerged the PDP presidential candidate.