The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum( SMBLF), comprising Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum,Pan-Niger Delta Forum( PANDEF) and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, rose from an extraordinary meeting, yesterday, declaring support for Labour Party’s presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Ahmed Datti, for the 2023 general elections.
At the meeting, held at Wells Carlton Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja, the immediate President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and former Minister of Information, John Nwodo, read a advertisement issued by the coalition.
He said members of the Forum would work assiduously in their colorful constituencies to promote intents agreed upon and ensure they’re realised for the progress of Nigeria.
Declaring that Peter Obi is “the rock upon which Nigeria will stand, ”the Forum advised “all those who want to change the hands of the clock of Nigeria by doing anything that will upset a peaceful transition to the coming mercenary government of this country, that we shall rise like one man in defense of the ballot box and that Nigerians must go to vote.
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This we’ve resolved today, and we enjoin other Nigerians who don’t belong to our organisation to join us in realising this.
The Forum added “ We give our unadulterated vote of thanks to our father and leader, Chief Edwin Clark, for his boldness, his discernment, his tenacity and his relentlessness in pursuing the aspirations and ambitions of this organisation.
In a related development, Clark demanded that Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, step down incontinently as vice presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) for “ betraying his associates in the Southern Governors ’ Forum and the South. ”
At a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, the elder statesman, former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader read a letter to the governor, dated February 2, 2023, titled ‘Your government and the reign of unaccountability in Delta State.
He said I can understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your associates of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on a safer ground, by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
No, by God’s grace, your prayer won’t be answered. maybe, you have forgotten the sobriety of the offense you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.
You gave them a very good reception and handed them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the president of the Southern Governors ’ Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
It was indeed a jaw-dropper, as you collectively demanded for Southern presidency and claimed that none of you should accept to be a vice president. “
Shortly thereafter, the SMBLF, which I lead, gave the governor’s declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving governors, legislators or politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very morning. ”
Clark added “It is, accordingly, in your own interest to openly apologise to your associates of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of getting vice presidential aspirant of the PDP. There your honour lies.
