On Tuesday, May 18, 2015 one of the apex Igbo groups known as Njiko Igbo Forum requested that the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Olisa Metuh to tender a resignation from office with immediate effect.
The Forum also requested the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu’azu to also quit, following his failure to deliver the party even in Bauch State, his home state.
Reverend Okechukwu Christopher Obioha (JP), the President General of NIF while addressing the press in Enugu disclosed that Metuh’s actions in recent times had was embarrassing and a total disgrace to the Igbo race both in Nigeria and in diaspora.
He went on to describe the PDP spokesperson as a “political coward,” stating that he was utterly dismayed and perplexed at the extending invitation of political parties/associations even while the PDP is still in power.
Obioha said, “Olisa Metuh should honourably resign forthwith and come home; he lacks the idea needed to run that office; we can’t understand how the spokesman of the party in power should be weeping like a child even before the APC takes over.
“It is so embarrassing that Metuh has already declared the PDP dead to the extent of inviting political associations and individuals to come and help him out; so, he should return home and stop disgracing Ndigbo”.
He equally bemoaned various Igbo groups including the factional Ohaneze Ndigbo lead by Ralph Obiora and the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, for what he described as “hastily paying a congratulatory visit to President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari”.
He went further to state that “we see it as huge dissapointment the way they are visiting Buhari in droves, with all the red cap chiefs; we are saying that the way they are running to Buhari is so petty, they are all looking for political appointments”.
He also maintained that the people of the South-East had no regret over their voting pattern in the Presidential Election, urging the politicians in the zone to avoid the temptation of defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
However, Obioha urged them to remain steadfast in the PDP and re-strategize ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“We have nothing really against the person of Muhammadu Buhari; but we were not happy that he picked somebody from the South-West as his running mate; remember that a Westerner, in the person of Olusegun Obasanjo, served for two tenure of eight years; then President Jonathan from the South-South has been there for six years.
“Surprisingly, few years later, Buhari again picked Osinbajo from South-West as his running mate; so, we were wondering the place of Ndigbo in scheme of things in Nigerian politics”, he said.
The group equally demanded of the PDP to reciprocate the support it had received from the zone since 1999 by zoning its 2019 presidential candidate to the South-East.
“We also find it quite curious that the PDP is wooing Atiku Abubakar and Kwakwanso with presidential ticket; we consider such a slight on Ndigbo and it will not work.
“Just like the Secretary General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu in an interview with The Guardian on Tuesday, April 12, 2015 where he stated that the PDP should galvanize themselves with progressives in the middle belt, south-west and the already steadfast members of the South-South and South-East to make sure they produce an Igbo Presidential candidate come 2019,” he concluded.
