Igbo leaders divided over who to support between Buhari and Atiku in next year's elections

IGBO leaders are in disagreement over who they should back as their presidential candidate in next year's elections after a recent meeting in Imo State showed that loyalty was divided between support for President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

In what is expected to be a close two-horse race, next February, President Buhari will stand as the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Alhaji Abubakar will be the PDP flagbearer. At a recent meeting of Igbo leaders and traditional rulers from Imo State, opinion remained divided on who they should recommend to the electorate across the southeast.

Earlier on this year, several monarchs from Imo State led by His Royal Highness Igwe Oliver Ohanwe, the traditional ruler of Ihim Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano local government area had endorsed President Buhari. However, recently, several groups of Igbo leaders  in Enugu unanimously endorsed Alhaji Abubakar and his vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi after what they described as a one-day non-partisan and inclusive summit.

After their summit, they called on all lovers of the Igbo project to support the presidential candidate of Alhaji Abubakar and Mr Obi. However, one of the reasons why the Imo monarchs want President Buhari to return to power is that they are hopeful that after 2019 he will hand over to an Igbo man.

Igwe Ohanwe added that President Buhari was working hard to ensure peace and unity in the country, stressing that it was his view that the president does not discriminate among the ethnic groups in Nigeria. Furthermore, Igwe Ohanwe also said that President Buhari has not only resuscitated moribund industries but also through his programmes and policies, the country has returned to dignity.

However, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, speaking on behalf of the other Igbo leaders said that Ndigbo were very happy   with the nomination of former Anambra State governor of Peter Obi, as the running mate Alhaji Abubakar. He stated that after several decades when Igbo people were excluded from the centre, the nomination of Mr Obi as running mate to Atiku has become a project of Ndigbo and Nigeria at large.

Chief Agbakoba also mentioned the restructuring agenda of Atiku as significant for the survival of the country. He said that the gathering of Igbo leaders would be a campaign of survival for Ndigbo and called on Ndigbo to begin heavy mobilisation for Atiku/Obi movement.