Igbo leaders in Lagos have dissociated themselves from the purported endorsement of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by another group of Igbos.
The Igbo council, which comprises Igbo speaking community, Igbo community and Ohaneze group, said it has adopted the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming elections.
The spokesperson of the group, Eze Uche Dimgba, called on all Igbo in the state to vote for the APC.
He said: “Some people came from outside Lagos and meet with few titled holders. They issued a statement supporting PDP candidates in Lagos. That is not our position.
“We are supporting the APC and this is the party we are going to vote for. We are calling on all Igbo people to support APC and vote for the party at all levels in the general elections.
“Every election year, Igbo in Lagos run after the PDP but the APC usually wins the election. If our host does not vote for PDP, we, Ndigbo, must support them so that we can enjoy dividends of democracy with them.
“If you vote for the PDP, it’s going to be a waste of time; they can never win here, so we are going to vote for the APC.”
He called on all Igbo people to discard any information telling them to support the PDP.
“The people claiming to be members of this council that endorsed PDP candidates are frauds. The group does not belong to the Eze Ndigbo community in the state,” he added.
Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe said the political calculation does not favour President Goodluck Jonathan, considering that the North and Southwest, which have the largest number of voters, have thrown their weight behind the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
He urged the Igbo to support APC for the zone to actualise Igbo presidency in future.
Igbokwe said an Igbo presidency can never be realised without the Igbo working with Hausa and Yoruba people, because they are the three major tribes in Nigeria.
A member of the House of Reps and Lagos Coordinator Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, James Abiodun Faleke, assured the groups of the APC government’s support.
“If you show your support to us openly, there’s nothing you will not get in the state; you will be part of the government,” the APC man assured.
