Politics

2023: Igbo Elders Reject VP, Insist On Presidency Slot

Published

3 years ago

February 16, 2022

Prominent personalities from Igbo extraction under the aegis of Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, on Wednesday, insisted that the South-East geo-political zone must produce the next President of Nigeria.

They also threatened heavy sanctions against any Igbo politician that would accept to be presidential running mate to any person.

According to them, it would be either the South-East is allowed to produce Nigeria’s next president in 2023 or the region would quit Nigeria.

The Chairman of IECF and former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, stated these during a press briefing in Abuja.

Among those present at the briefing were a former Minister of Education; Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike; Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo (FCT chapter), Dr. Kingsley Nkonye; His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ibe Nwosu, and several leading Igbo scholars and traditional title holders.

The Secretary of IECF, Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, warned that any political party that does not zone its presidential ticket to the South-East will lose the region’s votes.

“We are waiting for them (political parties), as they will meet their Waterloo this time if they insist on shortchanging the Southeast people this rare opportunity of producing a credible, patriotic, detribalized, and dynamic president of Nigeria in 2023”, he said.

Ezeife said, “Emboldened by the increasing demand and support by credible and patriotic Nigerians for power to shift to the South in 2023, the Igbo Elders Forum hereby encourages visionary, credible and creative presidential materials of South-East zone to declare their intention for the presidency and pursue it with every sense of seriousness, vigour, and commitment.

“We are very serious about this directive and do not mean those unserious bootlickers, who are angling to be running mates to candidates from other parts of the country, as the Igbos will not take it lightly with any of our sons or daughters who accept to be running mates to any person outside the South-East zone in 2023.

“It is either we are allowed to produce the president of this country in 2023 to change the appalling narrative of continued decay, poverty, insecurity, poor governance, corruption, and maladministration in Nigeria or out of it. No half measure, as serious sanctions will be visited on any Igbo man or woman that sabotages this noble and patriotic decision of our people to provide for Nigeria a credible, visionary, and creative president.

“Legally, morally, and strategically, it is the turn of the Southeast to produce the next president of the country as the other zones have been given the opportunity to serve this country in that capacity.”

Ezeife also argued that it was not just for the sake of equity, justice, and fairness, but also for a change of narrative of Nigeria, which he described as the sleeping giant of Africa.

Politics

Coalition: Abure-led LP Gives Obi 48 Hours To Leave Party

Published

12 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a 48 hours ultimatum to leave the party haven formally joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Thursday.

He explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”

The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.

He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who in the morning they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”

Politics

Only A Formidable Coalition Can Salvage Nigeria, Says Peter Obi

Published

12 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has given his full support for the coalition of opposition parties aimed at ending President Bola Tinubu’s rule in 2027.

He explained that it was a fact that no single group can change Nigeria alone, hence the need for people to come together to pursue the goal.

The former Amambra State Governor said this in a post on his verified X handle, on Thursday.

He said this just as the Julia Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given him 48 hours within which to formally resign from the party or risk expulsion.

Obi in his post wrote, “Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first.

REAS ALSO: Peter Obi Speaks As Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Production

“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy. A New Nigeria is Possible. -PO.”

Politics

I Don’t Owe Anybody Explanation On Truce With Fubara – Wike

Published

16 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, declared that peace has returned to his home state, Rivers, saying he does not owe anyone an explanation on the terms of the truce.

Wike disclosed this during a Media chat monitored in Abuja.

According to him, several people had turned the crisis in Rivers State into an “oil well”, from which they were drawing illicit funds for their selfish interests, saying such fifth columnists are no longer happy that he has reconciled with the suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

Details later…