Anambra State Youth Solidarity Movement (AYSM) has called on the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, to drop his ambition and “join hands with progressive forces in negotiating the political future of Ndi Igbo.”
The group, at a press briefing in Awka, the state capital, said that the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, spoke their mind when he publicly told Obi recently to forget about his 2023 presidential ambition because he would not win.
The youths said that the call on the LP candidate to drop his ambition became necessary considering the strategic moves being made by some Igbo leaders to position Ndigbo for a greater role in national politics.
Spokespersons of the group, Mr. Emeka Ikemefuna and Uloka Chukwubuikem, at the briefing, said that they also had the mandate of the Coalition of Anambra youth leaders to speak on their behalf.
The youths hailed Soludo for releasing “a very timely, strategic and historic treatise” on the future of Ndigbo in the political calculations of Nigeria.
“Gov. Soludo stated the facts as it were not minding whose ox is gored. It takes a lot of courage and political will for any politician from the South East extraction, to make the very firm, bold and factual statements as Governor Soludo did.
“This timely intervention by the prudent thinker (Soludo), has given leeway to other prominent Igbo leaders who for the avoidance of the shameful macabre dance by the untamed individuals swallowed their hallowed bank of wisdom and refused to air an opinion on this matter, now to come forward with critical thinking and analysis”, they said.
The youths, who said that they were bothered about the place of Ndigbo in the “political gimmicks of Nigeria”, called on their people not to allow history where they were once relegated to the background, to repeat itself.
“History repeats itself only to those who do not learn from history. Ndi Igbo must now wake up and adopt the political sagacity and gusto of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, of which it seems our Yoruba brothers have learnt quickly and are now implementing.
“The Zikist politics of bridge building gave Ndi Igbo our best chance in the political history of Nigeria when an Igbo man was President of Nigeria in the ‘60s, and another Igbo man as Senate President.
“The same Zikist politics of alliance gave Ndigbo the Vice Presidential and House of Reps Speakership slots in 1979. That is what Ndigbo have forgone for wishful thinking.”
The young people, who harped on the need for their people to form a very strong alliance with other ethnic nationalities, said that “Our brother, Peter Obi, does not have this alliance.”
“Truly, Peter Obi’s presidential sojourn is sabotage to Ndi Igbo. What he has only succeeded in doing is increasing APC’s chances of winning the election by depleting the votes of the South East for PDP.
“The implication is that the South Easterners will have to stay out of power for a minimum of another 16 years. Because after Tinubu (if he wins), power would return to the north for another 8 years leaving Ndi Igbo out for another 16 solid years”, they stated