By Temidayo Akinsuyi

Prince Tony Momoh, a former Minister of Information, has argued that the decision of Atiku Abubakar, former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to pick Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor, as his running mate in the 2019 presidential poll was not an assurance that he would get massive votes from the South-East region.

Speaking with Daily Independent in Abuja, Momoh, a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said the Igbo people would put their votes where their mouth was.

He said past experiences had shown that picking a running mate from the South-East was not enough to get votes from the zone.

He gave the instances of President Muhammadu Buhari who picked the late Chuba Okadigbo in 2003 and Edwin Ume-Ezeoke in 2007 yet got few votes in the South-East.

He said: “Precedent does not prove it that picking a running mate from the South-East will guarantee you votes from the region. In 2003, Buhari picked the late Chuba Okadigbo, the Igbos did not give him votes.

“In 2007, he picked Ume-Ezeoke, still they didn’t give us votes on the basis of picking one of their sons as running mate. So, I don’t see anything changing now that Atiku has picked his running mate from there.

“I have always said that the Igbos are more sophisticated than you think. They will always put their votes where their mouth is.

“For instance, if they believe in APGA, they will vote for APGA. If they believe in PDP, they vote for PDP, same for if they believe in APC.”

Momoh also argued that Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, would never work for Obi or PDP but would rather work for the APC and President Buhari.

“So, picking Obi is not a guarantee that Atiku will get votes in the South-East. Actually, Obi is a great guy and his qualifications cannot be questioned, but the last governorship election in Anambra cannot make the incumbent governor, Peter Obiano, work for him.

“If Obiano is going to work for anybody, he will prefer to work for APC or APGA than work for PDP.

“If he has the option to choose between APC and PDP, he will choose APC because he cannot be friends with Obi.

“Another thing is that Obiano is not an enemy of Buhari. Buhari has not quarrelled with any governor in Nigeria, irrespective of their parties,” Momoh added.

However, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of Transport, said in choosing Obi, Atiku had made a very politically wise decision and should be commended for doing so.

According to Babatope, who is a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, in picking a running mate from the South-East, the region has been placed in a line where they can also produce the president of the country.

He said: “In choosing Peter Obi, Atiku made a politically wise decision. It is politically wise because it places the Igbo in the line that they can also produce a ruler in the country.”

“For a long time, this has not been so and it has been causing a lot of tension and problems for the Igbo people.

“Now they have an assurance that they can also rise within the political ladder of the country. So, I think it is a very wise decision and I think one should commend Atiku for making that decision.”

https://www.independent.ng/picking-peter-obi-wont-guarantee-votes-for-atiku-in-south-east-tony-momoh/

Igbos won't vote at all.
No lefelendum,no erection.
Obi himself won't vote.

Should Igbos then re-elect the most corrupt government since Nigeria’s Democratic history?

https://www.nairaland.com/4883004/proof-transparency-international-corruption-worsened

No they will vote Jubrin that tagged them 5%, marginalized them in federal appointments, retired their senior armed forces officials, sent their serving soldiers to the North East so they can be butchered by BHT and also sent the army to the East in a Python dance that cost many of their children's lives.

Atiku misgiving..discredit a lot of people minds..the devil you know is better the one you dont know..

Why is it that it is non Igbos who want to tell the world what Igbos will do?

Tony Mumuni should shut the fvck up and continue feeding on the crumbs given to him by APC.




A nonentity that can't even win his ward is talking like a professional. Wonders shall never end.

Igbos did not vote Buhari in 2015 and will not vote him in 2019.
Atikuobi is the choice

Nice one Babatope. We are atikulated

oyin44:
Atiku misgiving..discredit a lot of people minds..the devil you know is better the one you dont know..

The devil in Buhari was already seen in 1983-85 but desperation by gullible Nigerians/"Indomie generation" caused him to be repackaged in borrowed robes & presented as a saint. So let's try the unknown angel.

And who is the sleeping sickness infested & "stone us if we failed after two years" man to tell anyone of the political choice to make.

Tell Nigerians why the failure you're associating with should be re-elected and not to be obesse with the political choice a region makes or not.Foolish man!