Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council warns PDP that it will support APC unless vice presidency is zoned to southeast

OHANEZE Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide leaders have warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that they will mobilise their supporters to vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) unless an Igbo candidate is picked for the vice presidency.

In February next year, Nigeria goes to the polls with the presidential election likely to be a two-horse race between the APC and the main opposition the PDP. Both parties are due to pick presidential candidates from the north of the country but while the APC's running mate is likely to be vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo from the southwest, the PDP slot is still up for grabs.

There are numerous candidates being touted for the job of PDP running mate but a lot will depend on who eventually becomes the party's presidential flagbearer. Among the candidates vying for the presidential ticket include Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal, Bukola Saraki, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Sule Lamido, Tanimu Turaki, Attahiru Bafarawa, Jonah Jang, Ahmed Datti and David Mark.

Yesterday, the Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, warned the PDP that if the outcome of its party primary elections does not produce a vice presidential candidate from the south-east geopolitical zone of the country, they will support it. Following a meeting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital where issues affecting the political future of Ndigbo in the 2019 general elections were discussed, the association accused the PDP national caucus led by Prince Uche Secondus of plotting to deny Ndigbo the vice presidential slot.

In a statement signed by deputy vice president Comrade Obinna Achionye and vice president (Ebonyi State), Mazi Alex Okemiri, the group said: “This is our final warning to the PDP regarding the 2019 presidential election. If there is any attempt to zone the vice president to another zone after the primaries, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide will mobilise Igbo youths for APC where we have nothing to lose, so the PDP should make hay while the sun still shines.

“OYC insists that the leadership of PDP led by Prince Uche Secondus is planning to deny Igbos the vice presidential slot when the party holds her presidential primaries early October 2018 in Port Harcourt Rivers State. Prince Uche Secondus had tactically avoided addressing the issue of denying the southeast the position of vice president after the upcoming presidential primaries because of the fear of the cabal that insists that a southwest vice presidency is better than the southeast vice president because of reasons best known to them."