Why We Declared Support For APC – Ezendigbo

CHUKA UBAH

Ezendigbo and Chairman Igbo Council of leaders in Lagos State,  Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, has explained why the Igbo Community endorsed the APC candidates in Lagos.

Eze Nwachukwu disclosed this in a chat with P.M.EXPRESS at his palace in Okota, Lagos.
He said that the decision was not farfetched as Igbo Community leaders and the Yorubas in Lagos State had enjoyed a cordial relationship and had been working together since 1999; we started with AD, AC, ACN and APC till date.
He noted that the relationship between Igbos and Yorubas is laden with enormous benefits that cannot be quantified with anything.
“More so, when the National Leader, HE Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the Governor of Lagos State, the party appointed Igbo people as Commissioners, General Managers and so on. This time around, Sanwo-Olu has emerged as the candidate of the APC and he has invited all the Igbo people to many occasions to sell his programme to Lagos State. He promised that his leadership as a Governor of Lagos State would be inclusive of our people; that whatever we need in Lagos will be given to us” he said.
Eze Nwachukwu went further to say that with such assurance, commitment and other reasons, the Igbo Community agreed to support all the APC candidates from Councilor level to the Federal level for their own interest.
He explained that the Igbo Community have to support the party who recognises them and works with them in Lagos State because they are partners in progress in this state; stakeholders and partners with good ideas that will take the state to the next level.
He said that the Igbo Community have endorsed Sanwo-Olu for governorship and also endorsed Senator Adeola Yayi days ago. He hinted that their endorsement also came with the chieftaincy titles. Yayi, as the sitting Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, was bestowed with the  title ‘Dikedioramma of Ndi Igbo of Lagos State’ which means the warrior that would go to the house and bring the goodies from the house to Lagos State and particularly the Igbos. He said Sanwo-Olu was given the title ‘Ugochimereze of Ndigbo’ and noted that it showed that the Igbo Community has built close relationship with their Yoruba neighbours and it had worked over the years.

“So what I am saying is that the Igbo man’s cordial relationship with the Yoruba has come a long way and we are working together to ensure in this state that good candidates emerged” Nwachukwu said.
On the decision of Ohanaeze on the choice of candidates, Nwachukwu said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo misfired adding that the Igbo community is on ground in Lagos State and knows where their interests will be protected unlike Ohanaeze that is a social cultural group that has nothing to do with politics.
“The Igbo leaders have the authority to tell our people where they should go and that was what we have done.” Nwachukwu asserted.
The Arewa community led by its traditional ruler, Alhaji Sani Kabiru, the Seriki Hausawa of Arewa Community and Chairman of Arewa Traditional Rulers in Lagos State had similarly turbaned Senator Adeola as the “Seriki Yakin Tafida” of Lagos State alongside all the other Seriki Hausas of major towns of Lagos State.
Eze Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, while addressing other Eze Ndigbos of various communities in Lagos State, particularly those from Lagos West, said that the title bestowed on Senator Adeola as well as the staff of office which symbolises their backing him, was to wade off any opposition to his re-election to the Senate to represent Lagos West again and continue with his effective representation and empowerment of constituents.

The traditional ruler said for his earlier election to the Senate in 2015 four years ago, the Igbos did not gather like that to endorse him stressing that now for the 2019 election they are strongly with him as one of their chiefs to protect their interest in Lagos State and at the National Assembly.
“I am calling on all Igbos in Lagos West to vote for the Senator in the coming election. He has identified with Ndigbo in Lagos State and his title is a seal of his being one of us henceforth. We reserved his certificate to form part of his inauguration into the Senate for the Second time later in the year” he stated.
In his contribution, Hon. Chukwuemeka Jude Idumogu (APC, Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2) – a member of Lagos State House of Assembly, said that Lagos provides the most conducive environment for Igbos to succeed than any part of Nigeria and Igbos should identify with the aspiration of the ruling party in government in the state by voting for all APC candidates in the 2019 elections.
“I am a good example that Lagos State favours Ndigbo. I came to the State without a mat but today I am a member of the State House of Assembly. We must support the Lagos State ruling party APC as they have been fair to us. The government of APC has not demolished any of our markets. And Igbos must support President Buhari if they want to benefit more from the APC administration at the Federal level” he stated.
While thanking the Igbo community in Lagos for endorsing him and giving him a title, Senator Adeola said he will now fight for the interest of Igbos in Lagos and elsewhere as a title holder of their traditional council stressing that he will not take the title, the first one in his life lightly.
“I call on you as to support all APC candidates from President Mohammad Buhari to Senators and state elected officers. It is only reasonable to identify with the party in government in Lagos State as they have been there for Ndigbo as part of cosmopolitan Lagos through the development of successive progressive governments” the Senator stated.
Among dignitaries that witnessed the occasion were Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Monsuru Oloyede Bello, Eze Ndigbo of Mushin, Eze Peter Umeh and several Ezendigbo in the State.