The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council Worldwide has declared that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State remains an Igbo son and would enjoy all rights and privileges.

Okowa was on Thursday announced as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Reacting swiftly, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro said the PDP would not get votes from the South-East for not giving the position to someone from the area.

However, in a statement on Friday, the OYC President-General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike distanced the youths from Isiguzoro’s stand.

Okwu said, “Okowa is a true son of Igboland, a bonafide member of Ohanaeze; we cannot, therefore, rise against one of our own.

“A former President-General of Ohanaeze, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue is from the same area as Okowa. They are our brothers by every standard and we cannot ditch them now simply because of political exigency.”

While noting that Ndigbo were not happy for not getting the PDP presidential slot, he asked: “should we now throw away the baby with the bathwater? The answer is a capital ‘NO’.

• “Having said this, we reiterate that Ndigbo are happy with his emergence as the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP and will accord him all the needed support.
• “We urge Ndigbo to support him; we must be strategic this time and not put our eggs in one basket.”