The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC) and the Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Leaders Forum have eulogized President Muhammadu Buhari for openly shunning calls to seek for a third term in office.
In a statement signed by the President General of the OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary General Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and Dr Abiye Douglas of the Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Leaders Forum, the group said: “We paid a visit to the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dim Uche Okwukwu, at Elele Rivers State, on the state of the nation.
In his remarks while welcoming us for finding it worthwhile to visit him, the Ohanaeze scribe called on Igbos and Nigerians to continue to support to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, stressing that Mr President had shown uncommon courage to declare openly that he won’t seek third term in office. This is the hallmark of selflessness and patriotism of an African leader.
“In this context, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will bestow on him very soon with the highest Igbo prestigious award reserved for non Igbos and decorate him as Enyi Ukwu Ndigbo for rejecting the third term bid openly.
He will be honoured alongside other Igbo illustrious sons and daughters. It’s on record that during the 2019 presidential elections, that Ohanaeze Ndigbo declared support for President Muhammadu Buhari and improved his electoral fortunes in Igboland unlike in 2015, and we don’t have any regrets about it.
“The Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Leaders Forum during the visit thanked the Igbo for the massive support given to their son and former president, Goodluck Jonathan, during the 2011 and 2015 general elections, and assured OYC of their support and alliance for a Nigerian president of Igbo stock which includes Igbo from the South/South.
They gave a stern warning to any tribe that goes contrary to popular aspirations of Nigerians that power must shift from North to South in 2023.
“We hereby dismiss the report credited to one Charles Enya an Igbo APC Chieftain, seeking for third term for the President and governors through constitutional amendment as idiotic, unconstitutional and parochial. As Igbo we disown such immature moves. It is un-Igbo and a huge joke.
“On the report credited to the Acting Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, Musa Liman Kwande that the North would retain power beyond 2023, though he has clarified that it’s his personal opinion and not the position of the ACF, we have by this development concluded arrangements to hold an emergency meeting by December with the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum and Coalition of Northern groups led by Alhaji Yerima Shettima and Mallam Abdul Azeez Sulaiman respectively on the issue of 2023.