2019: ATIKU’S ENDORSEMENT BY OHANAEZE, AFENIFERE, OTHERS INCONSEQUENTIAL -VON DG, OKECHUKWU

2019: ATIKU’S ENDORSEMENT BY OHANAEZE, AFENIFERE, OTHERS INCONSEQUENTIAL -VON DG, OKECHUKWU

Ahead of the February 16 presidential election, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has declared that the governors and the people of South East geopolitical zone were solidly behind the reelection bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He dismissed the purported endorsement of the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, by the ethnic socio-cultural organizations, asserting that their action was inconsequential.

Recall that  Anaedoonline had reported on Sunday, that influential socio-cultural organisations; including Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Middle Belt Forum on Sunday, endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku will slug it out with President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other candidates in the February 16 presidential election.

But, reacting in a phone interview with DAILY POST on Monday night, Okechukwu said Abubakar’s endorsement by the factional leaderships of the socio-cultural bodies, would not have any impact on the imminent victory of Buhari, in the forthcoming presidential poll.

The APC chieftain explained that, “Endorsement is a tradition that is done at the eve of an election in every liberal democracy both in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in India and in Indonesia. But, the endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the groups, has no impact on President Muhammadu Buhari imminent victory in next thirteen days.

“Because, the faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo that was part of the crowd, forget that Buhari has the support of the people of south East and the governors. In all the five states he visited in South-East zone during the presidential campaign rallies, he got royal and rousing reception.

” So, when you are endorsing and you forgot the governors of your states, the endorsement becomes inconsequential. The same thing with the Afenifere that participated in that meeting, which they also forgot that the six state governors from the South-West are behind President Buhari.

Okechukwu added that, “Majority of the people there, are behind him. So, a faction of Afenifere went to Abuja had no impact, a faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo went to Abuja had no impact. The impact is more of propaganda, more than real. It is not substantial.

“The governors of those states and the people of those states are supporting Buhari. Their endorsement is inconsequential.”