2023: Group Urges Amaechi To Join Presidential Contest, Says With Him Igbo In Safe Hand

A civil society advocacy group, Bridge Builders Initiative For Green Nigeria (BBIGN) has highlighted on the need for the country to get it right in the choice of presidential candidate ahead of 2023 election.

BBIGN therefore says the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has what it takes to lead the country as the number one citizen, urging him to join in the race.

At a town hall meeting held in Owerri, Imo State on the 11th of December by the South East branch, the group emphasised that Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi remains the best choice for the country for the 2023 presidency.

Speaking during the occasion, the guest speaker, Professor Obasi Igwe, a foremost professor of Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka, stressed the need for Nigerians to rally round the Minister of Transportation.

He posited that Igbos are one, and that it will be erroneous for anybody to limit the scope of the Igbos to only the five states in the South East, saying that now is the best opportunity for an Igbo person to become the President of Nigeria, and that in Chibuike Amaechi the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Igbos are completely in safe hands. He made it abundantly clear that the Ikweres, the Ndonis, and several other nationalities from Rivers State are entirely Igbos and not from Benin as some may have wrongly believed.

In his own view, Professor Mike Aghadiuno, another keynote speaker in the event said that Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi does not have a hiding place in Nigerian politics as he has made commendable marks in public service from his time as speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and Chairman of Conference of Speakers in Nigeria through his time as governor of Rivers State and Chairman Nigerian Governors Forum, to this present moment he serves as the Minister of Transportation . Professor Aghadiuno was so optimistic about his chances of winning the presidency if he contests that he referred to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as ‘president in waiting’.

Speaking during her solidarity speech, Ambassador Mrs Juliet Nwokocha, the National Treasurer of BBIGN referred the minister of transportation as the shining star of this President Buhari administration, who is no doubt more than capable to continue with the good works of President Buhari.

In his own remarks, Hon. Austin Okezie, the National Vice President (South East) of BBIGN, urged the people to keep praying for the Honourable Minister of Transportation, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Specifically he remarked that the major problem BBIGN had was how to convince the Transport MInister to contest for the presidency.

In his words “we are gathered here today to highlight the various positive roles of Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in public service, begining from when he was speaker of the house of Assembly to now that he is the transportation minister.

Everybody can see the transformation he has brought to our transport sector since he became the minister six years ago, and now we are more than convinced that such public servant needs to be encouraged and supported to become the president of this country come 2023 .

Anybody with such commendable track record in public service needs to be fully supported by all to become the president. Above all, he is such a ditribalised, patriotic Nigerian with huge love and commitment for the unit and development of this country.

Continuing he said “however the problem we have in our hands is how to convince Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi to agree to contest for the presidency, and we will keep doing the best we can in this regard.

After this Town Hall meeting, we will be considering doing rallies, symposia, and all other activities that will add momentum to this course, to make sure this aim is actualised. Above all, we will keep praying to Almighty God to touch his heart, and to protect and favour the Honourable Minister of Transportation.

Finally in his own remark, the National President of BBIGN Dr. Emmanuel Chigozie Orgwu said that he was positive that the Honourable Transportation Minister will hearken to the voice of the people and make himself available for presidency, saying that very soon Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi will speak to Nigerians on this. He encouraged all members of BBIGN in South East to keep working hard in any way they could towards the actualisation of the set objective.

He appreciated the effort of the South East BBIGN in holding the Town Hall meeting without funding from any person, and urged them to keep doing more and believing that the general aim is actualised.