A political support group, The Patriots for Ogbonnaya Onu, has urged the All Progressives Congress delegates to vote for former Minister of Science Technology and Innovation Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in the June 6 – 8 Presidential Primaries.
The leader of TPFOO and former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said this in a recent press briefing in Abuja.
Fawehinmi said Onu had displayed competence while carrying out his assignments as the former Governor of Abia State and a two-term Federal Minister in the country.
According to him, the choice of Onu would be of great benefit to the party and the nation at large, looking at his vast experience compared to other aspirants.
Fawehinmi, a nephew to the late Human Rights Lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) said: “As Governor, he (Onu) promoted national unity by abolishing the State of Origin Syndrome and appointed non-indigenes to key political and administrative positions in the State.
“We urge the ruling APC to put its best foot forward and adopt Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu as its consensus presidential standard bearer in its legitimate quest to retain power at the centre post-2023.
“Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s election will assuage the feeling of real or perceived marginalization among the Ndigbo that constitute about a quarter of the Country’s population, guarantee their full re-integration in the post-civil war Nigerian state.”
“A multicultural society like Nigeria requires a nationalistic leader and technocrat like Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu that can be entrusted with its unity and treasury and can provide transformational leadership devoid of sentiments and rancour”, he said.
He said for the sake of equity, fair play and national cohesion, the Pan-Yoruba Sociocultural Group the Afenifere, the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Pan Niger Delta and Middle Belt Forum and PANDEF are in support of power shift to the South East geopolitical zone of the Country.
Fawehinmi said the TPFOO was making contacts with other stakeholders in other parts of the country with a view to ensuring that Onu emerges as the party’s flag bearer in the 2023 general election.