Ndigbo in the three Middle Belt states of Nasarawa, Benue, and Plateau have endorsed the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the next President of Nigeria.
Atiku, who received the endorsement during a mobilisation and sensitisation rally held in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Wednesday, thanked them and assured that he would run a pan-Nigerian administration, if elected.
The group endorsed Atiku mobilisation and sensitisation rally in Lafia organised by the Eastern Peoples Front (EPF) with delegates drawn from Plateau, Benue and the host Nasarawa States.
Addressing Ndigbo residents in the three states, coordinator contact and mobilization and former Minister for Power, Chinedu Nebo, told the crowd that EPF members were in Nasarawa as part of their determination to encourage them to pick up their cards and to come out en mass on 16th February, 2019 to vote for Atiku/Obi Presidential ticket.
The EPF’s national coordinator Ken Emechebe, said the mobilization and sensitization of Ndigbo resident in Northern Nigeria, planned in collaboration with the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), led by Professor Ango Abdullahi, was to “encourage them and to forestall the often unhealthy developments where Igbo resident in the North, fearing attacks on their lives and businesses by their host communities pack up and either leave for their home states or stay indoors without casting their votes.”
According to him, the EPF was setting up structures and appointing conversers and lead supervisors for state, local government and ward levels, in all areas with great concentration of Ndigbo, for coordination and uninterrupted mobilisation to ensure that all Igbo come out to vote on the Election Day.
“They are to put in place contingency arrangements for security protection of lives and property of Ndigbo in their respective locations, before, during and after the presidential elections.
“With the endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the apex Igbo Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, EPF is out to ensure that the over seven million Igbos in the northern states, who are part of the entire 26.7 million registered Igbo voters across the length and breadth of Nigeria, are mobilised to participate fully in the election to bring Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to power on May 29, 2019.”
Former president of Ndigbo in Nasarawa state, Engr Mike Agbai, said Ndigbo in the state has 800,000 registered voters and would ensure that these votes are delivered to the PDP during the election.
