The Onu Political Organisation (TOPO) has expressed concern over a media report, linking Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation to 2023 political ambition.
TOPO in a press statement issued on Monday in Abakaliki by Chief Egwu Chima, its National Research and Publicity Secretary, debunked the alleged media report, adding that the minister has not made open his 2023 ambition.
He urged Nigerians, especially Onu’s supporters and the All Progressives Congress (APC) members to ignore and discountenance the purported report.
“We are compelled to issue this statement in view of a recent newspaper publication in one of the major Nigerian dailies of January 6 linking our leader, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu to 2023 political ambition.
“The publication titled 2023: ‘Ndigbo pushes hard for presidency, restructuring,’ is said to have been sponsored by a Northern group called Rundunar Mai Gaskiya.
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“The group in the publication allegedly endorsed Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna State governor as President and Onu as Vice President come 2023.
“While this decision may not be illegal or run counter to democratic ideals, we, however want to make it abundantly clear that Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has never spoken to anybody or group either in Nigeria or outside the country about 2023.
“The only thing we want to agree with the group are those qualities of Onu which they enumerated, which represent the truth and nothing but the truth which distinguished him among his equals”, Chima said.
The group described Onu as a good and sound follower who believes in the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for which he was playing a credible part.
Chima said: “Onu has remained an avid crusader and promoter of the sterling qualities of Mr. President and his special love for the people of the South-East zone.
“Onu is in a very sensitive, scientifically and technologically oriented person, who heads a ministry that requires the best of brain, capacity and utilisation in order to bring about the much needed innovations to our developmental needs.
“This is what the minister is currently preoccupied with in order to succeed in making the ‘Next Level’ aspiration of Mr President a reality.
“We felicitate with the minister and plead with him to please remain focused in his decision to remain a strong pillar in the ‘Next Level’ agenda in spite of distractions from genuine, suspicious or even mischievous quarters”.
The group in the statement further commended Onu for his commitment to strengthening the unity of the APC in the South-East.
The group further congratulated the minister for the vote of confidence passed on him at the enlarged South-East caucus meeting held on January 2, at Uburu, the minister’s country home and his reaffirmation as the leader of the party in the zone. (NAN)