Air Peace Founder denies rumours of presidential bid in 2023

Mr. Allen Onyema, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Air Peace Nigeria Limited, has waved off insinuations, especially in the social media, that he is nursing a presidential ambition beginning from the next general elections two years away.

Rather, as a businessman, his philanthropic gestures should be seen from the perspective of giving back to society and humanity and not a pretext to seek any political office, he said.

Some of the reports, based on his high profile visibility in social responsibility space, are claiming that he has the 2023 election in mind.

In a statement on Sunday, April 19, 2020, Onyema disowned the peddlers of an online poster by a group known as United People of Nigeria Initiative (UPNI) endorsing him for the presidency in 2023.

The Air Peace chairman, who said that the call was made in bad taste, repudiated the endorsement,  and urged those behind the campaign to desist from it.

“My attention has been drawn to an online poster by a group that goes by the name United People of Nigeria Initiative (UPNI) endorsing me for Nigeria’s presidency in 2023. One Sir Wealthson Chukwudi was exposed on the poster as President of the group.

“I wish to state clearly that this man, UPNI and its promoters are not known to me directly or remotely and whatever they are saying has not come from me and will never come from me. I am a businessman and not a politician.

“My purpose is to impact humanity and I do not have to be President first before I can continue with what has become part of my essence. This is my nature. My motivations are different.

“I call on the public to completely ignore this group and any other group or person/s that may come up with such message and mischief about me in future. I, personally, feel very offended by it all.

“I am very suspicious of the motive behind this unsolicited publication. Once again, I am not interested in partisan politics.”