By Temidayo Akinsuyi

Ahead of next month’s presidential election, some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East are finding it difficult to market the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari in the region, Daily Independent has gathered.

Though the region has witnessed a sizable number of leaders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who have joined the APC after the 2015 general elections, findings across some states in the South East reveal that many of the leaders are wary of campaigning for President Buhari who is seeking re-election for another term.

Sources told Daily Independent that the hesitation of the APC leaders stems from the hostilities from majority of the youths who are sympathetic to the cause of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

It would be recalled that IPOB had last year called on President Buhari to bury his ambition to run for second term in 2019 general election or he would be unmasked.

An APC leader in one of the South-East states who spoke on condition of anonymity said while he was convinced that President Buhari had done enough for the region despite getting few votes in the zone and as such deserved re-election, it is difficult campaigning for him as many of the youths “are not willing to hear anything about Buhari or APC in the South East”.

He continued: “I still believe that President Buhari will score more votes than what he got in 2015 in the South East but I must admit that the hostility by some youths, especially the pro-Biafra ones, is not creating a conducive atmosphere to campaign for him.

“Many of them are saying what they want is restructuring and not presidential election. Some of them are even saying it is Buhari that brought ‘Operation Python Dance’ that killed many of their youths.”

Also speaking, another APC member confirmed to our correspondent that while many people believe President Buhari had done well, they were afraid to come out and identify with him, especially now that the campaigns has started.

“I must admit it has been challenging. Most of the youths don’t want to hear you talking about Buhari. They may even attack you and there is nothing anybody can do about it.

“It is very easy to do that when there is a major rally as everybody will troop out to see the dignitaries but after that, you are on your own,” he said.

However, speaking with our correspondent, Osita Okechukwu, a chieftain of the APC and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), said IPOB could not constitute any threat to President Buhari’s campaign or re-election because they were a fringe group who were in the minority in the region.

Okechukwu said it was an erroneous impression that campaigning for President Buhari would be difficult in the South East based on the activities of IPOB.

According to him, the population of IPOB members was not up to two percent.

He said the position of the group concerning President Buhari should not be taken as the entire position of the South East region.

“There is nothing like that. It is an erroneous impression. What is the percentage of IPOB membership in the South East? Are they up to two percent? We are talking about election with PVCs and not about IPOB.

“This is a fringe group which doesn’t really have a say in the scheme of things. We cannot take the position of a fringe group to equate the position of the entire people. We are saying that since 1970, the second Niger Bridge has been on the drawing board.

“This is the president that brought the first bag of cement, the first shovel of gravel, first shovel of sand and so on. Nobody can dispute that fact.

“The dilapidated Enugu-Onitsha (road), the bail-out funds for salaries and pensions. Buhari is also the first person that paid the Biafran police who served during the Biafran war. So, these are the facts of the matter, it is not about propaganda.”

In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it was a fallacy that the governors of the South East were not campaigning for its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking with our correspondent, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s National Publicity Secretary who described PDP governors in the South East as committed stakeholders to the Atiku presidency, said any governor campaigning against Atiku was campaigning against himself.

“There is no South-East governor that is not committed to the Atiku presidential project. These governors are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and they are working for our party.

“Those claiming these governors are not committed to Atiku’s presidential election, is there anywhere the governors have said ‘go and vote for Buhari or APC?’

“Has any governor in the South East publicly come out to tell the people ‘don’t vote for Atiku, vote for Buhari?’ I also know that there is no South East governor that will publicly come out and say ‘don’t vote for Atiku, vote for Buhari’.

“None of our PDP governors will do that because it is clear that injury to one is injury to all. If any governor says don’t vote for Atiku, such a governor is already campaigning against himself,” he said.

https://www.independent.ng/ipob-igbo-apc-leaders-wary-of-campaigning-for-buhari-in-south-east/

APC leaders in the region should be careful because of the terrorist group in the region.
Your safety first.

Not too far from the truth..

They can only show their supports publicly for those vying for Governors, Senates, Reps but Buhari , No Even some Apc members wont vote for Buhari in SE.

You cant blame Igbos though.. Python things

Hmm All those Igbos youth will not want to hear anything about buhari all what they know is following a failure called atiku who will not even win his state in next month election and going around and shouting restructuring when they are not even united among themselves,

.
Buhari has been a woeful failure.
Not really the type of leader Nigeria needs now
.

This is what we have been saying but some people will sit in Ogbomoso and Oshogbo et al talking authoritatively about issues they kmow nothing about.

Whether SE Governors support Atiku or not,the generality of Igbos dislike buhari/APC to the marrow and unlike the North and SW were one man can tell them what to do and whom to vote for like parents ordering their kids around,,on election day next month they(Igbos) would come out to vote anyone but buhari/APC.

The biggest mistake anyone can make is using what obtains in the North and SW for South-East...The whites tried it via indrect rule and failed woefully.

madridguy:
APC leaders in the region should be careful because of the terrorist group in the region.
Your safety first.

Buhari will struggle to get 5% in SS/SE!

campaigning for Buhari in SE is like preaching about Jesus Christ (Isa) in Moguno borno state

Assalamualaikum my people
greetings from sheikh Isa Abubakar Usman from kebbi

Can you stake your money? PMB will get above 5%

tuniski:


Buhari will struggle to get 5% in SS/SE!

When you're in Rome, do as the pope does!

They might not openly come out to campaign, but their body language speaks volumes, and that is quite enough, case in point Gov Dave Umahi and Gov Willie Obiano.

[font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font] Igbos are not cowards like some:p

oluwadabira111:
Hmm All those Igbos youth will not want to hear anything about buhari all what they know is following a failure called atiku who will not even win his state in next month election and going around and shouting restructuring when there are not even united among themselves,

There will be higher voters turnout in SS/SE and they will vote bloc for Atiku/Obi. Even in katsina buhari's victory will be by reduced margin.

It is inconsequential because SE is not in the winning formular of Apc. So like I always say pdp can eat SE for all we care

bender79:
It is inconsequential because SE is not in the winning formular of Apc. So like I always say pdp can eat SE for all we care

PDP can eat SE
PDP can eat NC
PDP can eat SS
PDP can eat NW and NE
PDP can eat SW

You really can't blame the youths. Buhari's government started the fight with Operation Python Dance. Nnamdi Kanu went overboard but Buhari didn't act like a responsible father will do when his children are aggrieved

;.well.. the ibos were simply spoiling their owns cases.Buhari will win 2019 election .

CilicMarin:
We Don't Even Vote But write results In South South And South East...Even the ipob pigs will not see the RESULT SHEETS that day...

Votes will be allocated and nothing will happen...

It has been like that since 1979...

dream on!!!

AmarachiAshawo:
Bunch of efelefus.
Any Igbo that campaign for either Buhari or Atiku will be declared as an osu,.
No referendum no election.
Amarachi Onwuzoligbo writes from Onitsha

I know a guy is behind this Fake account..
Looking for victims

CaptainG00D:


I know a guy is behind this Fake account..
Looking for victims

The owner is a frustrated brown-roof republican with conically shaped skull

Are you from the South East?

CilicMarin:
We Don't Even Vote But write results In South South And South East...Even the ipob pigs will not see the RESULT SHEETS that day...

Votes will be allocated and nothing will happen...

It has been like that since 1979...

Ziggylady:



The owner is a frustrated yoruba brown-roof republican with conically shaped skull

Yes , true

madridguy:
APC leaders in the region should be careful because of the terrorist group in the region.
Your safety first.

Terrorists with megaphones and flags.

tuniski:

There will be higher voters turnout in SS/SE and they will vote bloc for Atiku/Obi. Even in katsina buhari's victory will be by reduced margin.

My guy keep deceiving yourself Enugu Anambra and even Imo PDP will not get up to 60percent of the vote there.

SAI BABA ALL THE WAY

hisexcellency34:
You really can't blame the youths. Buhari's government started the fight with Operation Python Dance. Nnamdi Kanu went overboard but Buhari didn't act like a responsible father will do when his children are aggrieved

With Python dance and the numerous military check points all over the south east, Buhari simply showed his hatred for the region.
Who will blame the youths? I have traveled to other parts of the country, and no where do we have as many military check points as you see in Aba. This is in a time of peace oh. Have we sat down to even calculate how much resources is being wasted deploying these military personnel?

D

Yawn

So Ipob is working for pdp

The issue in the SE is not wether Buhari would lose woefully....but by how much.

We need to come out in mass and vote. Please don't listen to the rubbish talk coming from IPOB. Nnamdi kanu has been compromised by Buhari.