AMAC Poll : Igbo Community Rejects Obi’s Endorsement of ADC Candidate, demands Neutrality

Ahead of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, chairmanship election scheduled for the 21 February , the Igbo Community and their leaders in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, under the agies of the Igbo Community Assembly , ICA , has criticized the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election and former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi for endorsing the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC

The Igbo’s in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, who have complained of institutional marginalisation of the South East geopolitical zone over the years in the Political leadership of the Area council argued that it was high time the Igbo’s are supported and encouraged to produce the next Chairmanship of the Council..

Addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend on behalf of the ICA, and other affiliated groups, former President General of ICA , Chief Leonard Ebo stated that the Igbo’s were taken aback when Mr Peter Obi a prominent son of the South East who enjoyed the unwavering support and commitment of the Igbo’s during his ambition to govern Nigeria in the 2023 general election and rose to prominence turn around and betray the Igbo Conscience by openly supporting and campaigning for another candidate outside the Igbo extraction, when he participated in taking the decision to support an Igbo consensus candidate for the AMAC election.

The group which revealed that the Igbo’s has the highest number of voters in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, expressed concern that the Igbo’s has been used and dumbed severally by previous leadership with nothing to show for it, hence the agitation for a candidate from the South East extraction to occupy the number one seat on AMAC.

The Igbo Community Assembly, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo , Ikenga Ndi Igbo and the Igbo Elders Consultative Forum in the Federal Capital Territory had unanimously endorsed the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Hon. Obinna Simon as the Igbo consensus candidate for the AMAC 21 February election.

The Igbo Political leaders have demanded neutrality from Mr. Peter Obi if in his own right that he is not supporting the Igbo consensus candidate , Hon Obinna Simon, should allow the , ADC , candidate to engage the AMAC electorates rather than carrying him on hand like a baby to campaign for him , they wondered why the likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar , Rotimi Amaechi, El- Rufai and even Sen. David Mark the National Chairman of the ADC are not going around with the ADC AMAC candidate.

Chief Ebo said ” what we are simply saying is that , there is a Consensus Candidate of the Igbo’s in this election, which was carefully and thoroughly scrutinized and chosen by the highest decision making body of the Igbo’s, the Imeobi in the person of Hon. Obinna Simon ,to represent the Igbo’s as the chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council , AMAC.

“So if Mr. Obi is not comfortable by supporting the Igbo Consensus candidate, he should be neutral so that his position of going around and campaigning for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, will effect his popularity and chances at the 2027 election.

“Why is Obi the only presidential candidate moving around with the ADC candidate , Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is there as a presidential candidate, former transport Minister and governor of Rivers State, Hon .Rotimi Amaechi is also a presidential candidate, the National Chairman of ADC, Sen David Mark, El-Rufai and others, have you seen them moving around with the candidate of the ADC, why is Obi desperate and want to use this AMAC Election to destroy his image, pls, Obi should allow the ADC candidate run his electioneering campaign.

” What we are saying , is that Mr. Obi should leave the ADC candidate to campaign for himself and tell AMAC electorates what he will do for them and not hiding under the Peter Obi influence.

“So, the Igbo Community in AMAC are saying that Obi should be called to order and he should emulate the likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi”

The group called on Mr Peter Obi , the former presidential candidate of the Labour party in 2023 and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to redress his step and respect the collective decision of the Igbos and interest in AMAC to protect Igbo long standing investment.

The Igbo leaders who said they were concerned about Obi stipping too low by moving around with the ADC Chairmanship candidate , raised the concern that , Obi’s direct involvement in the area council election will reduce and discredit his long standing reputation

It further warned that if Peter Obi fails to support the SDP candidate, Hon.Obinna Simon who has been endorsed by the Igbo’s as their consensus candidate and majority of the ethnic groups in the area council and he wins at the poll, it will surely affects his presidential ambition in 2027 ,

The group vowed not to jettison the AMAC chairmanship candidate who according to them , has the bright chances of winning the election .