Chekwas: Igbos cannot be blackmailed with IPOB in 2023
Urges Igbos to vote in APC in Anambra 2021
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Former National Chairman of the United Progressives Party [UPP], Chief Chekwas Okorie has warned political stakeholders in Nigeria to desist from blackmailing Igbos with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), and/or other pro-Biafra groups over the quest for a president of Igbo extraction in 2023.
Chekwas Okorie made the call during a virtual interview with Elombah Television, on Saturday, September 12, 2020.
The topic of the Hotspot interview is: “2023: Should Nigeria zone the presidency to the South East?”
Responding to a question on whether the activities of IPOB, MASSOB and the other pro-Biafra groups will jeopardise the chances of an Igbo emerging Nigerian president in 2023, the former UPP National Chairman stated that it should not be a hindrance.
Chief Chekwas recounted that Boko Haram arose in the North with their terrorist activities but it did not jeopardise the chances of Muhammadu Buhari emerging president.
He also recalled that earlier, militants arose in the Niger Delta bombing pipelines, kidnapping and looting yet it did not stop Goodluck Ebele Jonathan from emerging Nigeria’s president.
Again the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) militants, a Yoruba nationalist organization, arose in the southwestern part of Nigeria, it also never jeopardised the chances of Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo from emerging president.
Chekwas therefore argued that using IPOB, MASSOB and other groups against Igbos will be tantamount to blackmailing the Igbos from achieving the top seat in the country.
‘Igbos cannot be bullied or blackmailed from getting the 2023 presidency,’ he stated emphatically.
On whether he will contest the presidency then, he said that it will be premature for anyone to project about candidacy for now.
READ ALSO: Why 2023 is for Igbos to win or lose —Chekwas Okorie
According to him, what should matter most to all Igbos is to unite and fight to ensure that the presidency be zoned to Southeast in 2023.
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‘Only after then,’ he said, can one jostle for the position of the presidency.’
Chekwas, however, warned that the time to start the hustle is now that the 2021 Anambra State governorship election is approaching.
He urged the Igbos to use the Anambra election to launch themselves into political reckoning by voting the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the governorship office in 2021.
“In that way, with two states of Anambra and Imo, Igbos can then rightfully demand for the APC to zone the presidency to the southeast”, Chekwas stated.
He however emphasized that winning Anambra is not a pre-condition for APC to zone the presidential slot to the region. “It is a demand based on justice and equity”, he stated.
Chief Okorie lamented that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has betrayed the Igbo despite receiving massive bloc of votes from the southeast.
He urged Igbos to wizen up and join the ruling APC en masse to realise the dream of electing an Igbo to the office of president.
Chekwas was the National Chairman of the United Progressives Party, but later endorsed the APC candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 presidential election. He and his party thereafter joined the APC after INEC de-registered 23 political parties including the UPP.
Watch video of the full episode below:
