Ohanaeze reacts to Supreme Court ruling, advises Atiku

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, has reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Supreme Court victory over Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement issued after the apex court delivered its ruling on Wednesday by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group’s President General and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the Secretary General, they asked Atiku of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, to accept defeat like former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Tanko Muhammed, on Wednesday, dismissed the appeal filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

The OYC statement read: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari on the Supreme Court validation of his victory at the February 23rd Presidential elections 2019. This is a clear testimony that he will surely hand over to a Nigerian President of Igbo stock in 2023.

“We appreciate the doggedness of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of PDP in 2019.

“OYC urges him to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan’s footsteps and place a congratulatory call and message to President Muhammadu Buhari or Vice President Yemi Osibanjo.

Atiku Abubakar

“Atiku has demonstrated his faith in the Judiciary and should accept his fate and join hands with the Federal Government to ensure Nigerians enjoy good governance and dividends of democracy.

“With this victory at Supreme Court, North through President Muhammadu Buhari will enjoy uninterrupted eighth years tenure till 2023, and definitely with fairness and equity, President Muhammadu Buhari will surely hand over to a Nigerian President of Igbo stock as the only Southern Zone yet to take a shot at the Presidency since 1999.”

It enjoined Atiku “to declare support for 2023 Igbo Presidency project as the best way to appreciate the support Igbos gave him in 2019, and we wish to categorically state that Igbos will continue to Support President Muhammadu Buhari until 2023.

“There will be mass exodus of Igbos from PDP to APC in the nearest future, including South East governors and senators.”