Ojukwu's son Emeka Jnr tells Ndigbo to support Buhari as they backed Obasanjo and Goodluck

ODUMEGWU Ojukwu's son Emeka Jnr has called on Igbos to support President Muhammadu Buhari in next year's presidential elections just as they backed Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

Emeka, the first son of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who led Igbos during the Nigerian Civil War and is an iconic figure amongst Ndigbo, recently joined President Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking in Awka yesterday, he said that since the Ndigbo supported Chief Obasanjo and Dr Jonathan, he cannot understand why they cannot accord President Buhari the same support.

Mr Ojukwu said he could not understand the controversy over his defection to the APC, saying he is only following the footsteps of his late father. Emeka said Anambra's Governor Willie Obiano’s overtures to him to return to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (Apga) smacked of ignorance about the workings of politics in Nigeria.

He added that his actions were informed by the best interest of Ndigbo. Emeka recalled how, shortly after his father’s return from exile in 1982, he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), rather than the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), which was headed by an Igbo man, the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Emeka added: “I can afford to stay back in Apga and wallow in sentimental politics of nkea bu nkeanyi (this is our own) but in the long run, what becomes of our tomorrow and place in the great Nigeria project, for which our forefathers laboured, invested their time, talent and even their blood? Which is preferable: to be a big fish in a small pond or a big fish in the ocean?

“Real champions are never afraid of the big league. That could be why the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo asserted that if you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind, Ndigbo are not better off with emotional politics."

Mr Ojukwu noted that having supported presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Ndigbo decided to support President Buhari in the spirit of fairness and political goodwill so that when a president of Igbo extraction emerges, other ethnic groups would reciprocate. He added that those opposing him joining the APC are just being mischievous.

“So, while they seek to crucify me for joining APC, they express support and solidarity for the APC leader. Which is worse? to walk the talk or pander to politics of deceit and duplicity? What is the essence of being in a party that would rather support the presidential candidate of another party than choose its own?” Mr Ojukwu added.