The leading Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has strongly condemned recent comments made by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar advocating for a Northern Presidency in the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued today by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the group expressed serious concerns over Atiku’s apparent disregard for the principle of rotational presidency.
The organization reaffirmed its stance in favor of a Southern Presidency from 2023 to 2031.
The statement also highlighted the Igbo people’s appreciation for the ongoing infrastructure development in Southeastern Nigeria, particularly under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.
These projects, including critical federal roadworks, were previously neglected during the Obasanjo/Atiku administration.
Isiguzoro made it clear that the Igbo people would not support Atiku’s vision for Northern dominance, instead offering their full backing to President Tinubu’s leadership.
The statement emphasized that with the conclusion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year Northern tenure from 2015 to 2023, leadership must now shift to Southern Nigeria for the period of 2023 to 2031. This transition, according to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, is crucial for ensuring equitable representation and governance in the country.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo also criticized Atiku’s repeated push for Northern hegemony, stating that it has damaged his standing with the Igbo people and is seen as an affront to their aspirations for inclusion. The group expressed dismay at Atiku’s exclusionary rhetoric, which undermines Southern candidates, including Peter Obi, who is viewed by the Igbo as a credible opposition leader.
The organization firmly rejected political efforts that aim to diminish the role of the Igbo people in the national political landscape and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the ongoing infrastructural progress in the Southeastern region under President Tinubu’s administration.
“Part of the statement read: “We assert, without equivocation, that the conclusion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Northern term—spanning eight years from 2015 to 2023—must mark a transition of leadership back to Southern Nigeria, from 2023 to 2031.
“This transition is essential for facilitating equitable representation and governance across our diverse nation. Atiku Abubakar’s relentless pursuit of Northern hegemony has irreparably tarnished his reputation among the Igbo people, now perceived as a direct affront to our aspirations for inclusion and progress.
“His rhetoric has communicated a disheartening exclusionary agenda, dismissing Southern candidates, including Mr. Obi, as credible choices for future leadership.
“The implications of his statements reveal an inclination to pigeonhole Mr. Obi into a subordinate role when he should be recognized as a formidable opposition leader in his own right.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo unreservedly repudiates such political maneuvers that aim to reduce the Igbo people to a secondary status within the political milieu.
“Furthermore, Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s vision is not contingent upon Atiku Abubakar’s advocacy for a Northern presidency but rather is firmly anchored in the significant infrastructural progress currently unfolding across Southeastern Nigeria.
