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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
A group, the Igbo Heroes and Icon Foundation (IHIF), has called on all Igbo people to adopt and endorse the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, as their sole candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
The group’s National Coordinator, Chinedu Nsofor, made the declaration in a statement issued to journalists in Owerri, yesterday.
Nsofor said the demand for an Igbo president is rooted in what he described as years of poor governance, corruption, and economic decline. He argued that if past office holders had performed as expected, “there would have been no fuss about who will or not be the president of Nigeria.”
The foundation accused past and present leaders of mismanaging the petroleum sector, citing the allocation of the petroleum ministerial portfolio to themselves and the appointment of relatives to key positions. It also decried Nigeria’s rising debt profile, noting that the country continues to borrow despite its natural resources.
The group pointed to the 1981 to 1983 period when, it said, one dollar exchanged for 50 kobo, as evidence that competent leadership can stabilise the economy.
Nsofor said among Igbo aspirants, Obi stands out for his record in both public and private service. The statement referenced Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State, claiming he handed over a debt-free administration with millions of dollars and billions of naira in savings. It added that Anambra, under Obi, was the only state that did not take a refundable federal loan to states, and that the administration did not owe salaries, pensions, contractors or students on scholarship.
“He stands by his words to serve for four years to allow the conventional North and South alternating agreement,” Nsofor said, adding that Obi’s experience in establishing private enterprises shows his capacity to move Nigeria “from consumer to producer, from massive importer to massive exporter and from non-industrial to industrial nation.”
The group also said Obi is capable of addressing insecurity and improving electricity supply within four years.
The foundation alleged that some individuals claiming to be Igbo are being paid to criticise Obi. It described them as “hyphenated Igbo” who do not represent the “onye aghala nwa nne ya” spirit of the Igbo people.
“Nigerians should not listen to the utterances of these hyphenated Igbo, let alone taking same even with a grain of salt,” the statement said.
Nsofor said equity, fairness, and justice support an Igbo presidency in 2027, noting that the West, North, and South-South have all produced presidents since 1999 while the South East has not.
“No Easterner (Igbo) will in his right senses oppose Peter Obi’s candidature, his being the choice of the entire Igbo and youths as well as the majority of the right-thinking Nigerian elders,” he stated.
The group concluded by urging Nigerians to vote for “Mr. Peter Gregory Obi” in 2027, describing the election as “a challenge to make good his promises by proving his mettle, and not a victory.”
