Embattled National Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Okwukwu, has said the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, was right in his assertion that the South East does not stand a chance in the 2019 presidential election.
Okwukwu, in a statement, yesterday, said it was regrettable that some Igbo leaders have been attacking the Transportation Minister over his comments on which zone will produce the president of the country in 2023.
He stated that the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo betrayed the Igbo race by taking a partisan stand in the 2019 general election.
“I read with studied silence the regrettable and unfortunate statement credited to the Secretary of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Okwu Nnabuike, which statement was solely aimed at discrediting the personality of Amaechi, an Illustrious Igbo son, patriot, nationalist and presently the transportation minister of Nigeria.
“Amaechi predictable assertion to the effect that Ndigbo had, by an act of omission or commission shot themselves out of the presidency come 2023 is nothing but the truth.
“To the best of my knowledge, as the secretary general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nwodo betrayed Amaechi and the Igbo race as he (Nwodo) had earlier spoken and agreed that Ohanaeze Ndigbo will be neutral by not endorsing any candidate for the presidential election. In 2015, Ohanaeze took this path and failed.
“Regrettably, Nwodo and the likes of Nnabuike purportedly endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar without affording Amaechi (then director general of Buhari Campaign Organisation), the opportunity to present the reasons for the President’s bid for a second term.
“Amaechi and his fellow patriots had argued that it was better for Ndigbo to vote massively for President Buhari to provide them the space to politically and morally demand for an Igbo president in 2023. The question is, if Atiku had won, will Nnabuike be asking for the presidency in 2023. The obvious answer is no,” Okwukwu said.
