••• SAY IGBO’S BID FOR PRESIDENCY NOT NEGOTIABLE
By Kamsi Anayo
The Ohanaeze Youth Council has descended heavily on the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu describing his withdrawal from the presidential race and declaration of support for the President of Senate, Ahmed Lawan, as a betrayal of the Igbo cause.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council insisted that the quest of the South East to produce a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction is non negotiable.
The National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Igboayaka O Igboayaka, made the comment in a state on Friday.
Igboayaka regretted that he led a 10-man delegation of Ohanaeze youths on solidarity visit to Kalu when he was in detention at Kuje Prison.
He said that Kalu should apologize to the Igbo people for offending their sensibilities.
He also challenged Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State to call a meeting of Igbo people at the commercial city of Aba to tell them he has jettisoned the Igbo presidency for Ahmed Lawan.
Igboayaka who said that Kalu decided to support Lawan in pursuit of an alleged intent to become Senate President warned that there would’ve no room for electoral campaign for the Senate in the South East if the Igbo are denied the Presidential ticket at the primaries.
Igboayaka was reacting to Kalu statement that he would support the Senate President who is from the North East which according to him, is closest to the region on the issue of equity and fairness.
“In the absence of a South Easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a North Easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and Justice everyone is talking about. It further means that the justice is on its way to the South East.” He had said
But Igboayaka who disagreed with Kalu said, “I recall that I took 10 National Executives of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) to Abuja, we were ushered in at Kuje prison on Monday, February 10, 2020 at about 11:41. Our brother Orji Uzor Kalu received us in one of the prison Director’s office, dressed in a pair of white native attire…
“In my utmost conviction whether guilty or not guilty, I told Orji Uzor Kalu that his persecution was as a result of the zone he came from, but God will find a way to deliver you.
“We prayed for Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for God to show him mercy and love. My brother Orji Uzor Kalu was very excited that his younger brothers and sisters left Southeast to Abuja just to demonstrate the Igbo symbol of Unity.
“Lo and behold, Orji Uzor Kalu opted that we should keep visiting him at Keju prison, but in my Prophetic inspiration I said, “Onyeisi we will not visit you here, our next visit to you will be in your house to discuss how Ndigbo will produce a Nigerian President of Southeast extraction 2023.
“To my utmost dismay just on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, I read my brother Orji Uzor Kalu flying on a selfish political wing, and throwing his support on Sen. Ahmed Lawan from Northeast of Northern Nigeria, with the ill-motive to return to the Senate to become the Senate president, but Orji Uzor Kalu should bear it in mind that there will be No safe ground in Igbo land to campaign for his selfish Senate election if Southeast are denied presidential tickets in 2022 APC and PDP primaries.
“Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu you can recall that Ohanaeze Youth Council executives didn’t leave their comfort zone far away from East to visit you in Kuje prison to discuss about Senate president.
You have insulted our sense of sensibility, therefore we demand apology from you, if not for anything for the pains and cost of moving 10 national Executives on a solidarity visit to you at Kuje prison.
“In the Spirit Of Fairness, Justice and Equity, we stand on a rotational presidency, that Southwest and South-South are vying for president is inconsequential to your outburst and support for Sen. Ahmed Lawan. If you don’t have the capacity to vie, we expect you to support your brothers in APC like Ogbonnaya Onu and co.
“It’s obvious that Orji Uzor Kalu’s statement against Southeast presidential project is a show of shame, timidity, cowardice and a classified political profiteer’s mindset.
“Time has gone when some Igbo political elites speak for Ndigbo. The new generation of Igbo extraction wouldn’t tolerate such comment from Orji Uzor Kalu and his likes. Therefore, the decision of what Ndigbo want will be determined by Igbo youths numbering over Fifty Million (50,000 000).
“I challenge Senator Orji Uzor Kalu if he is man enough to call a meeting in an open field in Aba, and tell us that he will support Senator Alhmed Lawan”
