Ohanaeze Youth Hails Okowa’s Emergence As Atiku’s Running Mate

OHANAEZEYOUTH Council ( OYC), the youth wing of apex Igbo socio- cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, yesterday, hailed the emergence of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in the 2023 general elections.

The OYC said Okowa’s has remained an Igbo son and would enjoy all rights and privileges accruing to an Igbo man in the country.

Meanwhile, the SecretaryGeneral of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the PDP would not get votes from the Southeast for not giving the position to someone from the area.

However, the OYC PresidentGeneral, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and the SecretaryGeneral, Comrade Obinna Achionye distanced the

youths from Isiguzoro’s stand in a statement made available to The Guardian.

“Okowa is a true son of Igboland, a bonafide member of Ohanaeze; we cannot, therefore, rise against one of our own. A former President- General of Ohanaeze, Late Ambassador Ralph Uwechue is from the same area as Okowa. They are our brothers by every standard and we cannot ditch them now simply because of political exigency,” the statement read.

While noting that Ndigbo were not happy for not getting the PDP presidential slot, the youth said they would throw away the baby with the bathwater, saying that Ndigbo were happy with Okowa’s emergence as the vice presidential candidate of the PDP and would accord him all the needed support.

“We urge Ndigbo to support him; we must be strategic this time and not put all our eggs in one basket,” the statement read.