Ahead of the 2019 general election, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abia state, Austin Okezie Meregini, on Monday, declared that the South-East zone will be the worse for it if the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is allowed to govern the country.
Meregini stated that Atiku is not the solution to the myriads of economic problems besetting the country, stressing that the zone would suffer more in the hands of the opposition PDP if allowed to return back to power.
The APC stalwart, who spoke with newsmen on Monday, in Umuahia, pointed out that the PDP presidential candidate lacked the capacity to address the infrastructural decays in South-East, and warned Ndigbo against supporting any candidate that has no interest of the people.
According to Meregini, “Nigerians know that Atiku is not the solution for our problems. If we vote in Atiku, we are voting in a whole lot of underdevelopment of South-East zone.
“We had the yardstick upon we can measure Atiku and that was when he was the Vice President of Nigeria. And during that period, is unfortunate to note that what he was trying to do was to perpetrate his own selfish interests, whereby the whole of the privatization policies was geared towards enriching himself.
“We know that certain federal agencies that were privitalized was actually done for the interest of Atiku and his cohorts. I can mention the Nitel and a whole lot of them. So, if Igbo make a mistake to identify with Atiku, they are digging their graves”.
On the purported endorsement of Atiku Abubakar by Prof. Ben Nwabueze-led Igbo leaders of Thought at Enugu last month, the House of Assembly APC candidate for Umuahia East constituency, said, “as a matter of fact, what Nwabueze is doing or involving himself into is outright party politics venture. He is of PDP inclination. We know him of having history with Atiku Abubakar. We know him of having a history with PDP.
“As far as we are concerned in Igbo land. Ndigbo have not endorse anybody for presidency. We are not in tandem with Nwabueze-led Igbo leaders of Thought endorsement of Atiku.
“We in South-east zone, we know who we want. We know who have the interest of South-East at heart. The people of South-East know that Buhari is the way to go. If Nwabueze and co have any inclination towards Atiku is unfortunate”.
Meanwhile, the APC chieftain, Austin Meregini has commended the judiciary and the Adams Oshiomhole-led national working committee of the party for its affirmation of the APC gubernatorial candidate in Abia state, Uche Ogah, as the substantive candidate of the party for the upcoming 2019 general elections.”
He urged party members and supporters to remain steadfast and resolute, stressing that no antic of the opposition will deter APC from sacking the PDP-led administration in Abia state.
