We won’t collect money from candidates in 2023, Ohanaeze declares

Urges Igbo youths to obtain their PVCs

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, restated that it will not collect money from any political aspirant in return for the votes of its members in the 2023 general elections.

It, therefore, urged the youths of the South East region to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), to enable them to vote their preferred choice in 2023.

Patron of the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Livinus Chukwudi Okwara, stated this during a media briefing in Lagos at the weekend.

He explained that Ohanaeze Ndigbo was a combination of people from various political parties including those who do not have interest in politics and as such would not take sides with any political party and would not collect money to support any candidate, adding that it could only play advisory role.

Okwara, who urged Igbo people to participate massively in the electoral process leading to the 2023 polls, said: “We are tired of being told that our children play football or don’t come out on elections day, while others are trying to shape the country.

“It can be embarrassing when we hear that under one million of the 10 million Igbo population exercised their rights to vote.”

He said since the Nigerian civil war, no Igbo man had taken up arms against the government, even as they have been marginalised, but have instead participated in all political events organised by the Federal Government and remained subservient to successive leaderships of the country.

“We are Nigerians like every other person. Although some of our children don’t like what is happening in the country, everyone has an opportunity to say his mind. It does not mean that they are against Nigeria,” he added.

Principal Head of Uhuegbu Chineme & Co Justice Chambers, Chineme Uhuegbu, commended the introduction of independent candidate in the recent amendment of the electoral law, which he said, would serve as a check to political parties in the amount required to purchase forms and give the youths better opportunities to contest elections.

He charged Nigerians to look beyond party affiliations, money, religion or tribe and unite to make Nigeria great again, adding that the country’s president should be ceded to the South East in 2023 and that the youths should be allowed to aspire to political offices at all levels.