There is no respite in sight for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, following his comment that the north needs a northerner and not a Yoruba or Igbo person as president in 2023.
The latest flak is coming from apex Igbo sociocultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which has demanded an apology for the “provocative remark“.
Ohanaeze made its stance known through its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonna.
According to the group’s spokesman, the comment “contradicts Atiku’s claims to being a cosmopolitan and detribalised Nigerian”.
“That was a very provocative remark coming from a former vice president of Nigeria. His remark perhaps brings out his mindset about the country.
“It’s a Freudian slip. Something that slips from somebody’s mouth unintentionally, which reveals the person’s deep feelings about something.
“It is on record that the Igbo and the South voted for Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. They voted for Shehu Shagari, Umaru Yar’ adua and Muhammadu Buhari. So, why can’t there be reciprocity?
“He should have gone ahead with his campaigns without creating unnecessary ethnic tensions.
“That remark is abysmally low. It’s an ill-advised remark. It’s not good for the former vice president. He should find a way to withdraw that remark,” Ogbonna said.
Ogbonna noted that “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is disappointed by that remark by Atiku. This is because Ndigbo had voted for Shagari, Yar’Adua, Buhari and even supported all the military rulers from the North.
“So, Ohanaeze is calling on the former vice president to apologise to Nigerians and southerners in particular on that unfortunate remark. It is a divisive one.”