The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, also known as Ime-obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has explained why the South-East will not vote for the two major political parties – All Progressive Congress, APC and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 election.
The group declared that the South East won’t vote for the APC and PDP in 2023, “as they do not deserve our votes anymore”.
The IECF secretary, Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
The group criticised the APC and PDP for refusing to zone the presidency to the South-East region while describing Igbo delegates who voted against South-East aspirants in the presidential primaries for the 2023 election as “serial betrayals and shameless saboteurs”.
He said, “This will not happen again as the Igbo Elders shall provide a new leadership that will strengthen the Ohaneze leadership in Igbo land. Those betrayals will retire from politics shamefully and unceremoniously as they will never represent South East in any public service again.
“We observed with grave concern the unprecedented monetisation of the recent political parties’ primary elections, especially the presidential election at which highest bidders emerged as presidential candidates.
“More worrisome was the failure of the major political parties, namely, the ruling APC, and PDP, to zone the Presidency to the South East in keeping with the Federal Character principle and zoning arrangement as contained in Section 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the various political parties constitutions for the sake of justice, equity, fairness, peace and stability of the country.
“Worse still, the brazen arrogance and bravado that characterized the PDP leadership changing of the goal post at the middle of the game portrays a bleak future for good governance, transparency and accountability for Nigeria as the principles of justice, equity and fairness do not seem to matter again because it is the turn of the South East.
“Equally shocking and saddening was the brazen betrayal and unbridled collusion of some unpatriotic Igbo sons and daughters that shamelessly and unrepentantly joined those who do not mean well for our people to deny President aspirants from the South East their support and votes.
“They worked and voted for Dollar and lucre at the expense of their fellow aspirants from the South East in brazen arrogance and disregard of the demand of the Southern Governors Forum, Southern and Middle Belt Forum, Afenifere, Pan Niger Delta Forum, Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, Ohaneze Global, among other credible and vocal stakeholders that demanded that the Presidency be zoned to the South, and further micro zoned to the South East.
“Except Ebonyi State, other delegates from Anambra, Abia, Enugu and Imo States and their sponsors need to explain to ndi igbo who they sold their votes to and at what cost at the expense of our collective interest of producing the President of Nigeria in 2023.”
