The National Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief Audu Ogbeh has told the people of South East to begin serious lobbying ahead of 2023 general elections if they want to produce their own kinsman as the nation’s President.
Chief Ogbeh said resorting to intimidation, blackmail and socio-political threats might not give them the presidency.
He also said that management of political parties has become low and hopeless, noting that political parties of nowadays have abandoned constitutional responsibilities of holding their elected leaders accountable.
The ACF leader fielded questions from Reporters on Thursday shortly after he paid a condolence visit to the family of late General Inuwa Wushishi ( Rtd), a founding member of ACF who died last week.
Chief Ogbeh recalled the days of National Party of Nigeria (NPN), saying, “I was the national chairman of NPN, and we used to sit down the President at the party level and asked him to account for governance. We did same to our governors.
He reminded Igbo that democracy encourages political power seekers to be friendly and reach out widely to stakeholders across the country in order to win their respective support.
“We want to advise that if the south east people want to have 2023 presidency, they should begin to lobby, go round the country, talk to people.
“But what we are seeing is that there is so much hatred and attacks especially on social media about 2023 presidency.
“Nobody has come to us to say he wants to contest, but we will support whoever political any party throw up because what we need most is peace.
“We are not going to endorse people who cannot do the job because if we make bad choice the people will suffer for it.
“But you all know that ACF is not political party, all we want to see is peace and harmony everywhere ahead of the 2023 general elections”.
Also, commenting on insecurity in the country, particularly in the North, Chief Ogbeh who is the former minister of Agriculture and Rural development, said, “This is barbarism.We are all depressed, we are concerned, we are sad.
“In most cases we whispered to governments at all levels about what to do to curtail insecurity, and where we have opportunity we make suggestions”.
