Eze Willy Okonkwo said it is mandatory that all Igbo in Ogun State actively participate in the election by collecting their Permanent Voters Card (PVC), voting for good candidates and protecting their votes.
He disclosed this during a press briefing held at his palace in Ifo local government area of Ogun State.
Eze Willy Okonkwo warned all the candidates of all political parties to be wary of any Igbo or non-indigene resident in Ogun State peddling the endorsement of any party saying that no governorship candidates is yet to be endorsed.
According to him " We are seizing this opportunity to invite to town hall meetings all the governorship candidates of APC, PDP, ADC, LP and others.
"They should come and tell us what each of them has in stock to protect our interests if they are elected in the fast approaching 2023 general elections.
"We are already sensitizing and educating our peoples to come out enmass to exercise their civic responsibility from February 25, during the presidential and national assembly elections which would be held the same day.
"The Ndigbo and Niger Delta eligible voters in Ogun State have come to the decision to vote embloc for candidates of our choice that are able to convince us of their determination to protect our peoples and remove all types of discrimination and in the distributions of social amenities, education, health and career appointments.
"The Ndigbo and Niger Delta communities living and doing business in Ogun State have formed a huge percentage of voting bloc, nearing 30% in the State of our resident, and we are ready to explore this opportunity to our advantage, to make our stay in Ogun State more conducive, and to make the government at all levels in the state provide more enabling and sustainable environment for our businesses.
"The Ndigbo and Niger Delta communities living in Ogun State will endorse a governorship candidate that convinces us and more popular among our peoples.
" I want to categorically inform the general public and all stakeholders in Ogun State that we, the Igbo of Southeast and indigenes of South-south region living and doing our businesses in Ogun State will meet through various cells of our township associations to decide on any governorship candidate for our endorsement.
"We shall also make the same decision on all the Presidential Candidates. We would endorse collectively a Presidential Candidate of our choice at appropriate time.
" We are more concerned about the unity of this country and the principle of respecting the interests of our host state wherever we live. We would be guided by general feelings of all residents of Ogun State.
He therefore appealed to politicians and candidates to run issue-based campaigns that are without political thuggery, violence and acrimony.
He said" the country is already experiencing enough of insecurity, killings, banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and other violent crimes.
" Political violence should be out of it. We urge them to play politics without bitterness".
