2019: Why Nigeria May Not Survive Till 2023 – Ohanaeze
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council in Abuja has said that the re-election of President Buhari may lead to the disintegration of Nigeria.
Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council in Abuja and former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife stated this when some members of Ohanaeze Elders Council, Abuja led by the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress, IMC, Rev Dr Obinna Akukwe, paid him a courtesy call at Igboukwu to determine how far the reconciliation committee set up by Ohanaeze has gone in uniting Igbos ahead of the 2019 elections.
Chief Ezeife said, ”Ndigbo believes in one Nigeria and we do not want this country to disintegrate but a continuation of the present arrangement with all the numerous crises across the country could lead to a situation whereby there’s no nation anymore, therefore, let us preserve Nigeria first.”
On the vexed issue of Igbo Presidency, which the All Progressive Congress-led Federal Government have touted to Ndigbo in 2023 if they vote for Buhari’s second tenure, Chief Ezeife said that there will only be Igbo presidency if there is a Nigeria.
Going further he said that “Yes, we want Igbo Presidency, and our governors have been assembled in Aso Rock to persuade them on the project, but if by 2023 Nigeria has disintegrated, on what will the Igbo presidency float. I doubt whether Nigeria will survive till 2023.”
Replying to inquiries on how far Ohanaeze have gone in uniting those opposed to Peter Obi’s emergence as Vice Presidential Candidate to Atiku Abubakar, Chief Ezeife told Igbo Mandate Congress chieftains that Ohanaeze in Abuja have spoken to some of the aggrieved parties and the efforts are yielding results.
He described the choice of Peter Obi as running mate to Atiku as an expedient choice.
According to him, “Peter Obi happens to be the most acceptable Igbo personality for the job. This man governed Anambra State and thinned down the paraphernalia of government, moves with few sirens, carries his luggage aboard aircraft by himself, all in order to save money to develop the state and he left over N70 billion in cash and investments to his successor, and developed the state in the process.”
“All these attempts to blackmail him are afterthoughts because the EFCC and other agencies had five years to investigate him, the sudden freezing of his accounts and other spurious stories does not affect the capacity of Peter Obi to be an effective Vice President.”
The former governor disagreed with Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB on the plot to boycott elections in the South East.
He said that boycotting the election is handing over power to Buhari through the back door.
