Igbo Presidency 2023: We are working out a third force, says Chekwas Okorie

The National chairman of United Progressives Party [UPP], Chief Chekwas Okorie who is also the pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance [APGA] has described the 2023 presidential race as a task which the Igbo nation must fight vigorously if they must satisfy the quest of producing Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2023.

According to him, the trending political equation shows that the machinery of the All Progressives Congress [APC] has been cornered to the South West zone under the control of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu while that of the Peoples Democratic Party[PDP] is cornered to South-South zone of the country, under the influence of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.

He disclosed that many concerned Igbo politicians and elites irrespective of party of affiliation are bent on producing a third force through which an Igbo presidential candidate will emerge in 2023, and God willing through the support of some other tribes who are sympathetic to the Igbo cause, a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction will be produced in 2023.

Chief Chekwas Okorie, who is popularly known as ‘Oje – Ozi Ndigbo [ messenger of the Igbo race], dropped this hints in an exclusive chat with THE AUTHORITY in Enugu. He stressed that the coming of two Igbo industrial giants namely Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the Publisher of THE AUTHORITY Newspaper who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Oil and Gas, and Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Governor of Abia state, will increase the tempo of Igbo voice backed with action to be heard in the Ninth National assembly.

He stated, “The quest of producing a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2023 is a tedious task. There are so much work to do. But many political leaders are already doing something in this direction. I am at the center of the meetings brainstorming on the way forward.

There is an option for the UPP and APGA to merge. We in UPP are not opposed to that. We have extended our hands of fellowship to APGA. But there is no reply yet. There is also the option of strengthening UPP and engaging more Nigerians, so that come 2023 Ndigbo will present a presidential candidate who they will support.

“It has become obvious that the machinery of APC has been cornered by the South West zone under the control of Alhaji Bola Tinubu. Similarly, the machinery of PDP is cornered to South South zone, bankrolled by Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers state. With this scenario, it is only a third force, well-structured with other political zones, can allow Ndigbo to produce a presidential candidate outside APC and PDP.

“By the special grace of God, the 2023 presidential election will be a three way battle and not two ways like the 2019. We are working seriously towards that. Many well-meaning Nigerians are saying it is high time the Igbo nation is giving opportunity to produce the president of the country. With the goodwill, it is now left for Ndigbo to put their house in order”, Okorie stated.

He said the implication of the rejection of the South East zone in the leadership of the National assembly by the ruling party, APC, is a pointer that the APC will hardly survive in 2023, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

His words,’ It is already clear that the South East Igbos are completely side-lined, which is against my advice. That will send the message to Igbos in the National assembly that APC has less regard for them. But once the 9th National assembly is on the way, the Igbos will exhibit a better representation.

I say this because strong and very bold Independent minded Igbo sons who are bent of fighting Igbo cause will be there. We will have Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, who is outspoken and patriotic, followed by Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, who has tremendous courage, I can say he has a lion heart.

Dr Ifeanyi Ubah is a very special case, he has struggled so much but has always been frustrated, even in APGA where he made lots of impact but was disqualified. But based on the multi-party system, he joined Young Peoples’ Party [YPP], and his people, the grassroots who believe so much in him, voted for him. So he is going to the senate to prove his worth.

I have no doubt in my mind that Dr Ifeanyi Ubah and Dr Orji Uzor Kalu will champion the Igbo cause very well in the National assembly,more than some of our brothers who have been there since the past 16 years on the platform of PDP’, Okorie stated.