Igbo community pledges support for Isiaka, Shinkafi

The Congress for Igbo Agenda (CIA)), an amalgamation of Igbo professionals and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, has thrown its weight behind the political aspirations of two governorship candidates in their current race to occupy the government house in their respective states.The two gubernatorial aspirants who met the stringent criteria of the group were the incumbent governor of Zamfara State who is also the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Alhaji Mamoud Shinkafi Aliyu, and the governorship flag bearer of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in Ogun State, Mr. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI).A statement signed by Rev. Innocent Chukwudi Peace and Thomas Onyebuchi, the President and Secretary-General of the group respectively, the Indigbo in diasporas stated that the group arrived at the decision to support the two aspirants due to the conviction that they were the most likely persons to provide enduring enabling environment for entrepreneurialship to thrive.The congress further declared that the rich antecedents of the two aspirants in humanitarian projects, disposition on welfare and populist programmes were some of the compelling reasons the Igbos decided to route for them rather than their membership of the political parties.The congress said that it found Alhaji Shinkafi of Zamfara State worthy of its support because he had done so well in the last four years in the administration of Zamfara State.Ever since he took over the state as its governor four years ago, the state has witnessed a tremendous transformation. He is a liberal and highly de-tribalised person who is cast in the mould of Governor Fashola of Lagos State who included an Indigbo in his cabinet, the congress noted.The group also lauded the entrepreneurial abilities of Gboyega Isiaka, which it noted had distinguished him when he was at the helms of affairs at Gateways Holdings, the investment arm of Ogun State, and highlighted their belief that he could bring the same ingenuity to bear on the economic fortunes of Ogun State and so ensure its enduring prosperity; hence the decision of the Igbo Congress to use its numerical strength in both Zamfara and Ogun states to ensure the electoral success of the two candidates.
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