From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja and Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The leaders of the South East, South South, South West and Middle Belt Forum has taken Governor Chukwuma Soludo to task over his his recent uncomplimentary remarks on Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The group bragged that Obi’s prospects of winning the 2023 presidential election would not be affected by any disparaging remarks about him, claiming that the APC and PDP crises were working in the LP’s favor.
Soludo had in a recent television interview said the investments Obi made for Anambra State as governor were now worth next to nothing.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also claimed that the LP candidate lacked the requisite support system to win the 2023 presidential election.
But Chairman of Forum, who is also chairman of LP FCT Presidential Campaign Council, Olisa Uzoewulu, told journalists in Abuja that the Anambra State governor has turned from a professor to prophet.
He has made himself a prophet who sees what will happen tomorrow. He is insulting us. He said the man who is contesting cannot win election but yet he is contesting. He has turned from a professor to a prophet. That’s what he is now.
“People are going to make choices this time. Nobody will hoodwink them. We are going out there to campaign for change. And the change is to make choices to move us out of consumption to production.
“He (Obi) will win with the people oath. God has remembered this country. Obi victory will surprise all. PDP will have more crisis from time to time and it will be one problem to another for them. Same with the APC.
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denied taking Governor Soludo to deities in Igboland over his recent treatise on Obi.
The group in a statement by Alex Ogbonnia, disclaimed media reports suggesting that the body or Ndigbo have dragged the governor to two famous divinities and deities, Chokoleze in Mbaise and Ubiniukpabi in Arochuku over his behaviour.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worlwide, led by an erudite scholar and a seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, CON would have ignored the said press release, but silence in this circumstance will tend to give validity to such a fallacy by the unsuspecting public.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has never contemplated consultation to deities in seeking solutions for the Igbo dilemma. The Igbo are profoundly endowed in various ways least of which is a resort to deities.
“It needs be added that on November 15, 2022, the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo held a meeting presided over by Obiozor. The issue of the place of the Igbo in 2023 was elaborately discussed.”
“Ohanaeze once more informs that the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is Ambassador Okey Emuchay, MFR and any claim to the contrary are mischief makers, impostors, charlatans, social climbers and those media navigators who leech on the invaluable footprints of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to issue press releases for narrow, perverse and illicit pecuniary interests.”