10th February, 2015
Cyriacus Izuekwe
Igbo traditional rulers in Lagos State under the aegis of Council of Ndi Eze on Monday endorsed the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari and Lagos State APC governorship candidate, Akinwumi Ambode.
They directed all Igbo living in Lagos to vote for APC candidates because they will protect their interest both in Lagos and Nigeria.
Making this known at a press conference at Festac, the leader of Ndigbo Lagos State, otherwise known as Eze Ndigbo, Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, said they endorsed the APC candidates after due consultation with all the stakeholders of Ndigbo resident in Lagos.
Nwachukwu said they have the mandate of all the Igbo resident in Lagos who asked the council to look for a particular party and candidates that will protect the interest of the Igbo in Lagos and Nigeria at large.
Nwachukwu said the council took a critical look at all the political parties and their candidates and arrived at the decision to vote for APC.
He, therefore, asked the Igbo to vote for APC from the ward level to the national level.
When asked why they chose APC instead of other political parties, he noted that right from the inception of the administration of former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to that of Governor Babatunde Fashola, Igbo sons and daughters have been appointed into key positions by the Lagos State government.
“Igbos were appointed as commissioner, board directors, personal assistants, supervisors in both in local governments and state government,” he stated.
He disclosed that Igbo leaders have extracted a commitment from Ambode to accommodate more Igbos in his administration if voted into power.
He said that the Igbo in Lagos will soon stage an independent rally to mobilise other groups to vote for APC.
Nwachukwu said the Ezes in all the local governments have been mobilised and mandated to ensure that all the Igbo in the state voted for APC.