The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC), has cautioned the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar against any plan to drop Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
There are speculations that the former Vice President is under pressure from different quarters to drop Okowa and replace him with Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike.
OYC, in a statement on Tuesday signed by its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, and the Secretary, Comrade Obinna Achionye said any attempt by Atiku to replace Okowa would backfire.
It said although the South-East had expected the two major political parties in the country to zone their presidential tickets to the region, it would not accept losing out completely ahead of the 2023 elections.
The statement read partly, “There is no need to repeat that we expected both the PDP and the APC to zone their presidential tickets to the South-East, but that did not happen.
“Though this has been overtaken by events, the only consolation we have is the choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, considering that Okowa is a true Igbo son.
“Having said this, how could anyone wake up and think of replacing Okowa with Wike? As much as we know that Atiku reserves the right to choose whoever he wills as his running mate, we also have the right to vote according to our desire.
“And that desire is clear- that the PDP would not get one vote from Igbo land should they field Wike because this is a man who disowned Ndigbo. He said he is not one of us and this is payback time, we also do not know him. Should the PDP make the mistake of pairing him with Atiku, the PDP will be roundly rejected during the presidential election.”
