BY ELISE ONWUKWE, ENUGU
The disposition of the leadership of the two leading political parties in the country, the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to zone their presidential tickets to the North, has been fingered as the major reason why Igbo presidential hopefuls are yet to declare their presidential intention.
A Political analyst, Mr. Ben Ekwueme, who spoke to INNONEWS in Enugu, accused the APC and the PDP of harbouring plans to concede their presidential tickets to the North.
Recall that the Ohaneze Youth Council, OYC, had recently issued an ultimatum to some prominent Igbos to declare for the presidency in 2023 and open campaign offices.
Ekwueme, however argued that Igbo sons and daughters are not to blame for shying away from the presidential race thus far.
His words “As I speak to you, there are plans by the two major political parties in the country- the APC and PDP- to concede their presidential tickets to the North. This is the major reason why Igbo presidential hopefuls are shying away from the presidential contest.
“The APC is already entangled in a deep mess on where it would zone the presidency.
“This is the reason it is yet to hold its national convention after congresses in the states had further polarized the party. Though the party’s body language indicates that it will zone its presidential ticket to the North, the ambition of National leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, from the South West, is already causing ripples in the party
According to Ekwueme, he claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP after its national convention will opt for a Northern presidential candidate despite the fact that its National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, is from the North Central.
Ekwueme said “PDP’s stance that it will throw its presidential ticket open is a smokescreen. Already, two powerful Northerners are gunning for the presidential ticket of the party, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal. Other Northerners will also join the contest.
He said the APC and PDP wallow in the belief that a Northern presidential candidate will leverage on the voting strength of the North, which is greater and higher than that of the South, to win the 2023 presidential election. Both political parties are playing mind games.
“These are their calculations and there is no way an Igbo presidential hopeful will join the contest in these two political parties because they have foreclosed that their candidates will come from the North” he stated.
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