As the 2023 presidential race draws closer, political leaders across the country are fighting for their candidates to emerge the next President of the country.
Former Deputy Senate President and chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Ike Ekweremadu has disclosed that the people of South East will vote for the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar on the ground that the future of the people of the region lies in the main opposition party.
Ekweremadu acknowledged that the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, is ably qualified to emerge the next President of the country but does not have the capacity to win the next presidential election.
He noted that Peter Obi who hails from Anambra State is their son from the South East but the people of the region cannot afford to throw away their votes which they will regret in the future.
He claimed that there is no difference between the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa who has been picked as Atiku’s running mate and Peter Obi of Labour Party on the ground that the interest of South East is what matters which he believes Okowa will protect when PDP wins the presidential race.
He explained that while they believed Peter Obi is qualified to lead Nigeria, the people of South East region don’t need to attach sentiment to it because he cannot win the presidential race under Labour Party. He also believed it is a risk for South East to give their votes for Peter Obi in the presidential election with the current political reality.
He said, “I assure you that South East will vote for PDP. I can guarantee that. No doubt Peter Obi is our son, but you need to be dynamic. You need to ask yourself, can peter win the presidential election? Can the East afford to throw away their votes?”
Pundits believed the emergence of Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar is causing problem for the candidature of Peter Obi of Labour Party.
Some South East Leaders like Senator Ike Ekweremadu and few others believed it is better for Igbo people to settle for Vice President than to vote for Peter Obi they believed does not have the structure to win the presidential election under Labour Party.
