Nigerian billionaire and businessman, Prince Arthur Eze has openly endorsed the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Press Nigeria reports that Eze made his position known on Friday during a solidarity visit to the Director-General of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Council in Anambra State, Professor Obiora Okonkwo.
He said the people of South East will benefit more from supporting and voting for Atiku in the forthcoming presidential election, adding that his administration will liberate the country.
Eze urged the Igbo people to renew the strategic relationship with the North by supporting Atiku, adding that the long-standing alliance between the North and the South East has always produced many political benefits.
The billionaire said the former Vice President would deliver on his promise of restructuring the country and ensuring that a South Easterner succeeds him as president.
He told reporters: “I have known Atiku Abubakar to be an honest man, liberal, and a pan-Nigerian who aspires best for the nation, and he is committed to the renaissance of Ndigbo.
“He has demonstrated his huge love and concern for us ndi-Igbo by continuously choosing an Igbo man to be his running mate since 2007 when he picked Senator Ben Ndi Obi; again in 2019 when he picked Peter Obi; and now, Ifeanyi Okowa, an Igbo man from Delta State. He was willing to scale back his ambition if the ticket was micro-zoned to the southeast; only Atiku Abubakar agreed to such terms.
“It is apparent that with him as President of Nigeria, power is shifting to the southeast, and he will undoubtedly keep all of his promises.
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“My appeal is for our people to seize the opportunity provided by Atiku Abubakar to renew the age-old alliance between the southeast and the north, which saw Nnamdi Azikiwe become President of Nigeria in the first republic and Alex Ekwueme serves as Vice President, while Edwin Ume-ezeoke was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in the second republic.
“We have accomplished far more in this country’s politics through our alliance with the north, and in order to bargain for a Nigerian president of southeast origin, we must maintain that partnership through Atiku.”
Eze also tasked Igbo leaders in the diaspora and throughout Nigeria to convey Atiku Abubakar’s Rescue and Recovery agenda to the grassroots and throughout Nigeria, where Ndi-Igbo live and do business.
Also speaking, Okonkwo commended Eze for his unwavering support for the Atiku project and his numerous advocacy efforts, which have had an inexplicable impact on the South East and Ndigbo in particular.
The PDP chieftain reaffirmed the Atiku-Okowa campaign’s commitment to mobilize majority votes for Atiku-Okowa in Anambra State.
Eze and Okonkwo also held a closed-door meeting with select stakeholders, including traditional rulers, community leaders, representatives of Ndi-Igbo across Nigeria, various groups and politically sophisticated, and others during the visit.