2023: We’ve not endorsed Okorocha, other presidential aspirants —Igbo group
Political pressure group, National Forum for South East Presidency (NFSEP) has said that it has not endorsed a former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha or any other candidate as the South East presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
The group also issued a 48hrs ultimatum to Arise TV to withdraw its statement claiming that the group has endorsed the former governor as the presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
Arising from a one day national conference of the Forum held in Awka the Anambra State capital on Wednesday; the group stated that it has not endorsed any candidate for the election.
The group reiterated its mission and vision, to include advocacy, for a peaceful united Nigeria with a President of Igbo extraction from the South East region.
And to mobilize support for the South East detribalized Nigerian who has the political will to return Nigeria to the part of growth and development.
“While acknowledging the facts that Senator Okorocha is one of the illustrious sons of Ndigbo is eminently qualified to contest for any position in Nigeria including the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we make bold to state that the group has not in any way endorsed him or anyone else as their candidate in the 2023 presidential election and shouldn’t be misconstrued as to had done so.”
The group said it is a non-profit organisation, whose responsibility is only to mobilize support for the South East Nigerian presidential candidate that can bring peace and socio economic stability and development in Nigeria.
The group noted that only a president of the SouthEast region, who is tested and trusted, would heal the wounds of political imbalance, marginalisation and stabilize the socio-economic and other numerous problems posing serious threat to the unity and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
According to the president of the Forum Dr Patrick Enuneku, the group’s recent visit to Senator Rochas Okorocha was to solicit his support to the 2023 Igbo presidential ambition in continuation of their advocacy programme and, they did not endorse him as was erroneously reported in January 8, 2022, news bulletin of Arise TV.
They described the news as fictitious, politically induced and a sponsored material aimed at tarnishing its well earned reputation among Ndigbo and Nigerians.
The group noted that the visit to the senator was in continuation of the consultation with the political stakeholders in Nigeria and not only in the South East had region and they not gotten to that stage which according the president is the exclusive rights of Nigerians
“The visit to our senator was among the hundred and one visits we had made to various states of the federation and wondered why they should endorse him even before the declarations of other presidential aspirants of the Region.
The group therefore appealed to Nigerians not to be misled by anybody this time, but should ensure that they get it right now or risk the unity and stability of the country.
The bNational Forum for South East Presidency further warned that it will not take it kindly with anybody or organisation who might take them for granted as a ploy to achieve a cheap and selfish political end.