2023: WUFIPA Disagrees With Ohanaeze On Tinubu

The Worldwide United Forum For Igbo Patriots and Aborigines, WUFIPA, like many democratic minded Igbos both home and abroad, have frowned at the embarrassing reaction of the apex Igbo organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo after the declaration of intention to run for the 2023 presidential election by former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

According to the news that was in circulation, Ohanaeze spokesperson was quoted to have said that, “the declaration was against the rules of natural justice and that any project that is not based on equity and justice would not succeed”.

First of all, we want to make it clear that WUFIPA is not one of Tinubu’s support groups in the country or part of those defending his presidential ambition.

This press statement is meant to counter what WUFIPA consider as a naive political position in a democratic setting. It’s a common knowledge to every Nigerian, that the Southeast have been serially marginalized and short-changed in the leadership equation of the country since the advent of democracy in 1999 till date. Every fair minded person knows that this marginalization is against natural justice and equity, hence the Southeast should be supported by other regions in the country to produce the President of the country in 2023, but there must a democratic contest to achieve this. That is why we totally disagree with Ohanaeze’s position that other interested candidates from other regions in the country coming out to contest for the Presidency in 2023 is against the rules of natural justice and equity.

With due respect, we consider Ohanaeze’s position as politically naive, undemocratic, annoying and weak. What impression does Ohanaeze want to create within and outside the country? Do they want Nigeria’s President of Igbo extraction without a contest? Is Nigeria practicing democracy or practicing natural justice as a system of government? Or do they want candidates who are not as politically strong as Tinubu to declare so that Southeast can have an easy win in 2023?

While these questions beg for urgent answers from Ohanaeze, we want to remind them that democracy is not a political system that runs on naive natural justice and equity where a candidate expect to win a major election without a fierce democratic contest. In a democratic setting, your candidate must contest an election with other candidates and either win or lose.

Besides, the Nigerian Constitution guarantees that anybody is free to contest, and that is why Ahmed Tinubu like any other Nigerian is free and constitutionally qualified to contest the 2023 presidential election. If Ohanaeze felt threatened by Tinubu’s candidacy, they should get their political acts together and support one of the eminently qualified candidates in the Southeast like Peter Obi or others.

The idea of trying to prevent Tinubu or any other candidate from another region from contesting the 2023 presidential election only exposes Ohanaeze’s political weakness and unbridled fears. As 2023 election approaches, this is not the time for Ohanaeze to start making unnecessary statements that stir sentiments and hype emotions.

This is the time to step up consultations, negotiations and deft diplomatic overtures that would enable any chosen candidate from the Southeast to defeat other candidates at the election. We want to use this press statement to state categorically that Ohanaeze’s position on Tinubu does not represent the position of all democratic minded people of the Southeast.

The spokesperson of Ohanaeze should hone his arts and capacity for information dissemination by exhibiting sound constitutional and political knowledge on issues before feeding the general public what democratically represents the position of all South easterners in the present political dispensation.

Long Live Ndigbo
Long Live Ohanaeze
Long Live WUFIPA

Signed:
Pastor Edwin Chukwudire-obi
National President

Onowu Obiora Edekobi
National Secretary-General