2023 Presidency: Patriots Want APC to Adopt Ogbonaya Onu as Consensus Touch Bearer
Lawal Adejoh – Abuja
A political support group, The Patriots for Ogbonnaya Onu (TPFOO), led by Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi on Friday, urged the All Progressive Congress (APC) delegates to vote for the former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, as the party’s consensus candidate ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
The leader of TPFOO and former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, made the passionate appeal during a press conference in Abuja.
Fawehinmi, nephew to the late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), said Onu had displayed competency while carrying out his assignments as the former governor of Abia State and a two-term federal minister in the country.
According to him, the choice of Onu would be of great benefit to the party and the nation at large, looking at his vast experience compared to other aspirants.
”Let’s put H.E Dr Ogbonnaya Onu on the drivers seat”, he said.
He added, “We urge the ruling APC to put its best foot forward and adopt Dr Ogbonnaya Onu as its consensus presidential standard bearer in its legitimate quest to retain power at the centre post-2023.
“His political sagacity, requisite experience, managerial acumen and comportment will earn him the respect of the government and people”, he said.
Prof. Hakeem said the TPFOO was making contacts with stakeholders and the APC in all parts of the country with a view to ensuring that Onu emerged as the party’s flag bearer in the 2023 general election.
During his declaration to join the race earlier in May 2022, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu had said that Nigeria can no longer look to foreign countries for its salvation.
Onu maintained that Nigeria has the key to unlock its own prosperity, asking his party and the electorate to elect him as Nigeria’s “Chief Servant”.
He had explained that “This key is a knowledge economy driven by science, technology and innovation. This is so, because no nation has ever become truly great, whether in ancient or modern times, without the efficient and effective deployment of science, technology and innovation to nation building.
“I am convinced that I have the knowledge, the experience, the credibility, the education having been trained in one of the best universities in the world, the vision, the integrity, maturity and a man who can be trusted. I most respectfully ask my political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to elect me as its Presidential Candidate, and the people of Nigeria to elect me as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for me to be the chief servant of the nation”, he had declared.
