Ohanaeze Ndigbo asks SE leaders to support Obi as Atiku’s running mate

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked Ndigbo to accept the choice of the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi as vice presidential candidate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on the platform of PDP in order not to upset the political arrangements towards the 2019 presidential elections.

President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo made the appeal in a telephone interview with Vanguard in Enugu.

He spoke against the backdrop of complaints from the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum and governor of Ebonyi state, Chief Dave Umahi that south east leaders were not consulted before Atiku nominated Mr Obi as his running mate for the election.

“As the national president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, I am a father to all the political parties. My appeal is that Igbo leaders in PDP should let bygone be bygone and accept whoever had been nominated.

“We should not upset the applecart. We should accept Peter Obi so that we can move ahead, politically. This is both my prayer and appeal,” Nwodo said.

“Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu are the ones pushing for Peter Obi’s rejection. They are meeting with other Igbo leaders this weekend to outrightly reject an Igbo VP and demand that SW produce VP while Igbos wait after Atiku’s tenure!
“Wrong move, Obi is an election winning candidate, if anyone has gotten anything from APC in bribe or any promise , tell them to return at once, the campaign ship has started sailing with Obi inside, no going back. Obi’s fame has spread across the geo-political divide in the last 20hrs since declaration, and no going back.”

— Abimbola Kumapayi