Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, SGF, on Saturday, January 27, 2018 explained that the Igbos need to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term ambition.
He said, “Because for any thought of Igbo presidency, this is the shortest path.”
Mustapha made this call while speaking at a reception organized by Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Abia governor who is now a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in honour of the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Barr. Georgina Ehuria, who hails from the same local government as him.
“I have been in this game in the last 35, 37 years. I know the permutations. I know what is on ground and I am an election manager. I know how you can commute, how you can fix the figures and how they come and arrive at the destination. And I can tell you without any fear, without any iota of doubt that the shortest path to an Igbo presidency is for Buhari to complete his tenure and now engage the Igbo nation in a decisive move.”
The SGF was quoted saying politics is like negotiation and the people of the South East need to bring the same kind of bargaining skills they use in their business on to the political arena.
“And I leave this with my Igbo brothers that the act of negotiation that you have perfected in dealing with merchandise, in dealing with commerce, in dealing with entrepreneurship, must be brought to bear on your navigating your way to the presidency of Nigeria,” Mustapha said.
In attendance at the reception were the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, former governor of Ekiti State and All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni, former Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Chuka Odom.
Former Governor Kalu on his part said the Igbos will give over 75% of the votes in 2019 to Pres. Buhari.
“The Igbos, we have decided; the PDP, APC, APGA, PPA that if the president is running again, he will have 75 percent vote in the South East. And this is a statement of fact,” Kalu said.
