Ohaneze Ndigbo claims that 18 state governors are backing Peter Obi's candidacy

PAN-Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohaneze Ndigbo has claimed that 18 of Nigeria's governors are backing the presidential bid of former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Next February, Nigeria goes to the polls in what is now looking like a three-horse race between Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Governor Obi and ex-vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). With the political temperature rising on a daily basis, the Labour Party is trying to portray the younger Governor Obi as the new face of Nigerian politics in contrast to the more elderly and establishment candidates.

Now, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, said that apart from the unnamed governors, a number of the country’s past leaders were also backing Governor Obi’s candidature. He added that the governors cut across different political platforms, pointing out that the APC and PDP were already afraid of the development.

Mazi Isiguzoro said: “This is a movement to take back Nigeria from the days of locusts, greedy and selfish politicians. It is a movement to rescue the country from adversity, economic slump, Asuu strike, insecurity and corruption.

“Nigerians have demonstrated readiness to take back their country through the ballot box and it behoves on the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to make the votes count. As we speak, about 18 governors from the north and the south, cutting across party lines, are behind the scenes putting up structures for Obi to win the 2023 election.

"In addition, some former presidents and elder statesmen are in support of Obi’s candidature, as they are all convinced that Obi has something different from all the other candidates. We are glad that for the first time in the recent past, Nigerians are united in the dethronement of mis-governance in Aso Rock and they are determined to make a political change through the ballot box with a third force presidency."

Reviewing the recent Obidient rallies that held across the country, Mazi Isiguzoro stated that the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and others are startled by the soaring popularity of Governor Obi. He said this was especially after the Obidients’ independence day rallies cut across ethnic and religious lines, taking different cities of the country by storm.

“This is the first time we are seeing such a strong political movement in Nigeria that is not being sponsored by politicians, rather the masses own the project. You have seen the mass movement across the country and beyond and you have seen  children, persons with special needs and the aged. Everyone is part of this movement.”

“We are going to hold the commission accountable for their actions. Inec staff should not scuttle the desire of the people by doing the bidding of money-bag politicians,” Mazi Isiguzoro warned.