A political pressure group, under the auspices of the National Forum for South East Presidency (NFSEP) has denied ever endorsing former Imo State Governor for the Presidency in 2023.
The group issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Arise TV to retract the statement on the its said endorsement of Sen. Rochas Okoroch as the Presidential Candidate in 2023 general election or face litigation.
Rising from a one-day national conference of the forum in Awka, the group said it had not endorsed any candidate for the election .
The President of the Forum, Dr Patrick Enuneku, explained that the group’s visit to Okorocha was to solicit his support for the 2023 Igbo presidential ambition in continuation of their advocacy program.
“We did not endorse him as was erroneously broadcast on Jan. 8, 2022, news bulletin of Arise TV,” he said.
The members reiterated its mission and vision to include advocacy for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in a peaceful united country .
They stressed that it is also part of its mandate mobilize support for a detribalized Nigerian of South East extraction who has the political will to return Nigeria to the part of growth and development.
“While we acknowledge that Okorocha is one of the illustrious sons of Ndigbo and also eminently qualified to contest for any position in Nigeria including the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria, we make bold to state that the group has not in anyway endorsed him or anyone else as their candidate in the 2023 presidential election and shouldn’t be misconstrued to have done so.” The group said
The group noted that only a president of Nigeria from the South East Region, who is tested and trusted would heal the wounds of political imbalance and marginalization.
It was further stated that only such a person would Stabilize the socio economic problems threatening the unity and peaceful coexistence of Nigeria.
The group described the news as fictitious, politically induced and a sponsored material aimed at tarnishing her highly earned reputation among Ndigbo and Nigerians.
