Ogona Anita
Retired Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma has advised former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, to reject any invitation to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he described as compromised and under the influence of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during the July edition of the Ikengaonline town hall meeting themed “Ndigbo and the 2027 Politics,” Gen. Ijioma alleged that the PDP has lost its independence and is now essentially “worshipping” the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, whom he accused of deep-rooted loyalty to the APC. “If I’m Peter Obi’s adviser, I will never advise him to go back to the PDP. With what is happening, the PDP is a carcass, and I believe that it is only vultures that feast on a carcass,” the retired general stated.
“Returning to the PDP with Wike hanging on there is risky. There’s no guarantee that Obi’s interest will not be undermined.” General Ijioma described ongoing efforts to lure Obi back to the PDP as suspicious, warning that such a move could be a strategic trap meant to frustrate his growing presidential ambition. He also cautioned Obi to be careful with the coalition talks involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the former governor should only remain in any alliance where he has a clear path to securing the party’s presidential ticket.
“If he is not sure of getting the presidential ticket of the coalition ADC, he should leave them and join any other party where he will emerge as the presidential candid
According to the retired general, Peter Obi remains the most nationally acceptable political figure in Nigeria today. He cited growing public frustration with the APC-led administration as a sign that the electorate is ready to back Obi regardless of party affiliation. “Any party Peter Obi joins today, that party will become the rallying point for the Nigerian masses who are at the receiving end of bad governance by the APC for the last 10 years,” he added. “Nigerians have come to accept Peter Obi as a politician of integrity who is really out there to redress issues.” Referencing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s earlier call for Nigerians to give an Igbo candidate a chance, Ijioma said the time was ripe for a President of Southeast extraction, noting that all other regions have had their turn.
“The Nigerian people who are feeling the bite of the abysmal performance of the APC administration are yearning and calling for Peter Obi,” he said. “It is only the Nigerian political elites and the Igbo political elites that are fighting against Peter Obi because of their own selfish interests.” The retired general concluded by calling on Ndigbo both at home and abroad to continue to support Obi, asserting that no better candidate currently exists to lead Nigeria out of its current socio-economic challenges. “I do not see any better candidate from all parts of Nigeria other than Peter Obi,” he declared.
