The Anambra-born oil magnate, Chief Arthur Eze, has reaffirmed support for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his running mate, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.
He said the Igbos will vote for the Atiku/Okowa ticket in the Feb. 2023 presidential election in order to continue with the “strategic relationship” that has for long existed between the Southeast and the North.
Eze said this during his solidarity visit to Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Committee in Anambra in his Ogidi country home, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra.
He described Atiku as an honest, liberal, and pan-Nigerian who aspired best for the country.
The billionaire urged the people of the Southeast to continue the strategic relationship with the North by supporting Atiku in the presidential election.
According to him, the long-standing alliance between the North and the Southeast has always produced many political benefits to the region.
“My appeal is for our people to seize the opportunity provided by Atiku Abubakar to renew the age-old alliance between the Southeast and the North; we have accomplished far more in this country’s politics through our alliance with the North.
“This alliance saw Nnamdi Azikiwe become President of Nigeria in the First Republic and Alex Ekwueme served as Vice President, while Edwin Ume-ezeoke was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic,” he said.
Eze said an Atiku presidency was the surest way to having a president of Southeast extraction.
“Atiku has demonstrated his love and concern for us ndi-Igbo by continuously choosing an Igbo man to be his running mate since 2007 when he picked Sen. Ben Ndi Obi; Peter Obi in 2019 and now, Ifeanyi Okowa, an Igbo man from Delta State.
In his response, Obiora commended Eze for his unwavering support for the Atiku project and his numerous advocacy efforts which he said, had great impacts in the Southeast.
The PDP campaign Director-General said the party was committed to mobilising majority votes for Atiku-Okowa in Anambra.
