2023:DESPITE BEING LABELED “TRAITOR” BY OHANAEZE, SMBLF, OHANAEZE YOUTHS SAYS OKOWA WOULD ENJOY ALL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF AN IGBO SON
The youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has declared that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State remains an Igbo son and would enjoy all rights and privileges.
Okowa was on Thursday announced as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Reacting swiftly, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro said the PDP would not get votes from the South-East for not giving the position to someone from the area.
However, in a statement on Friday, the OYC President-General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and the Secretary-General, Comrade Obinna Achionye distanced the youths from Isiguzoro’s stand.
“A former President-General of Ohanaeze, Late Ambassador Ralph Uwechue is from the same area as Okowa. They are our brothers”
Okowa has received a barrage of attacks from a cross section of Nigerians, after accepting to be Atiku’s running mate thereby going against the decision of Southern Governors taken at a meeting he hosted in Asaba, Delta State.
In a joint statement by the Leader, SMBLF/PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark; Leader, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; President-General, Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Dru Bitrus, and the President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, George Obiozor, they said Okowa was jeopardising the political future of the people from the southern part of the country.
The statement partly read, “It is unspeakable and quite disappointing that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who is currently Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, and a native of Owa-Alero in Ika North-East Local Government Area (one of the Igbo speaking areas) of Delta State, would exhibit such barefaced unreliability.”
Also, Okowa has received scathing criticism from several social media influencers, including Hassana, a popular Arewa Twittter activist.
She wrote on Twitter on Saturday:
“Okowa hosted the southern governors meeting in Asaba where a resolution was reached that the 2023 presidency must be from the South. He went behind to support Atiku and now He is the running mate of Atiku. Politicians are too desperate. Sorry Wike.
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum has described the governor of Delta State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as a traitor for accepting his nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate to Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming 2023 general election. The group said Okowa was among the governors who agreed that power should be rotated to the southern part of Nigeria based on the principle of fairness, justice, and equity, adding that accepting to be the running mate of a northern candidate was unfortunate.”
