Olushola Omogbehin
Igbo Heroes and Icon Foundation (IHIF), has appealed to all Igbo home and abroad to adopt and endorse the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, as their only candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued to journalists in Owerri yesterday, the group disclosed this though its National Coordinator, Chinedu Nsofor.
He said the need for an Igbo president is rooted in many years of poor governance, corruption, and economic decline.
According to him, if past office holders had performed as expected, there would have been no fuss about who will or not be the president of Nigeria.
IHIF accused past and present leaders of mismanaging the petroleum sector, citing the allocation of the petroleum ministerial portfolio to themselves and the appointment of relatives to key positions.
Lamenting over Nigeria’s increasing debt profile due to incompetent leadership, the group pointed to the 1981 to 1983 when one dollar exchanged for 50 kobo, as a period when leadership was good.
Speaking further, Nsofor said among Igbo aspirants, Obi stands out for his record in both public and private service.
Referring to Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State, he said Obi handed over a debt-free administration with millions of dollars and billions of naira in savings which made Anambra under Obi, the only state that did not take a refundable federal loan to states, and that the administration did not owe salaries, pensions, contractors or students on scholarship.
“He stands by his words to serve for four years to allow the conventional North and South alternating agreement,” Nsofor said, adding that Obi’s experience in establishing private enterprises shows his capacity to move Nigeria “from consumer to producer, from massive importer to massive exporter and from non-industrial to industrial nation.”
Claiming that Obi is capable of addressing insecurity and improving electricity supply within four years, the foundation alleged that some individuals claiming to be Igbo are being paid to criticise Obi.
Describing such people as “hyphenated Igbo” who do not represent the “onye aghala nwa nne ya” spirit of the Igbo people, he said:
“Nigerians should not listen to the utterances of these hyphenated Igbo, let alone taking same even with a grain of salt,” the statement said.
Noting that the West, North, and South-South have all produced presidents since 1999 while the South East has not, he said “No Easterner (Igbo) will in his right senses oppose Peter Obi’s candidature, his being the choice of the entire Igbo and youths as well as the majority of the right-thinking Nigerian elders,” he stated.
The group therefore appealed to Nigerians to support Igbo presidency in 2027 and vote Peter Obi for equity, fairness, and justice.
