By CHUKWUJEKWU ILOZUE, Awka
A political pressure group, under the auspices of the National Forum for South-East Presidency (NFSEP) has denied a statement credited to her over the endorsement of the former governor of Imo State Senator, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
According to the president of the Forum Dr Patrick Enuneku, their visit to Senator Okorocha was to solicit his support to the 2023 Igbo presidential ambition in continuation of their advocacy program and did not endorse him as was erroneously broadcast on January 8.
The group warned that it will not take it kindly with anybody or organizations who might take them for granted as a ploy to achieve cheap and selfish political popularity through misguided information against her noble and patriotic 2023 presidential project.
Rising from a one-day national conference of the forum in Awka the Anambra State capital, the group said it has not endorsed any candidate for the election and asked the television station that aired the news to retract it.
They reiterated their 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 and also eminently qualified to contest for any position in Nigeria including the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but said they have not in any way endorsed him or anyone else as their candidate in the 2023 presidential election and shouldn’t be misconstrued as to have done so.
The group said it is a non-profit organization, 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 South East Region who is tested and trusted would heal the wounds of political imbalance, marginalization and stabilize the socio- economic and other numerous problems posing serious threat to the unity and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria.
They described the news purporting to support Okorocha as fictitious, politically induced and sponsored material aimed at tarnishing her highly earned reputation among Ndigbo and Nigerians.
The group noted that the visit to the Distinguished senator was in continuation of the consultation programme of the political stakeholders in Nigeria and not only in the South East Region and they had not gotten to that stage which according to the president is an exclusive right of Nigerians
“The visit to our senator was among the hundreds and one visit 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 to ensure they get it right now or risk the unity and stability of the country.
It warned that it will not take it kindly with anybody or organizations who might take them for granted as a ploy to achieve cheap and selfish political popularity through misguided information against her noble and patriotic 2023 presidential project. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Daily Independent)
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