The main Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denied claims that it had planned to participate in the inauguration of Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu on May 29.
An Ohanaeze faction secretary general, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said last week that “Ohanaeze will fully participate in the inauguration of President-elect Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.”
Isiguzoro also stated that “Ime-Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo has ordered that all agitation for the 2023 election come to an end”, adding that “Peter Obi is the candidate of the future and no one should pick up a fight that can.” t finish, against Bola Tinubu.”
Mr Obi, the Labor Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, lost to Mr Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress. He came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.
Atiku Abubakar of the Democratic Party of the Peoples he came in second with 6,984,520 votes.
Both Atiku and Mr. Obi are challenging Mr. Tinubu’s victory.
ohanaeze reacts
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday from their spokesman, Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze said the report claiming the group had planned to participate in the inauguration of the president-elect did not emanate from them.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Chief Dr. Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, did not issue any statement regarding the inauguration of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Ohanaeze said.
The group stressed that it does not “get eloquent about party politics except when it becomes extremely necessary, nor does it envy or antagonize any Igbo” over their choice of political party and association.
“But implicating Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide in personal pecuniary interest is not only unethical, despicable and unscrupulous, but, in all its ramifications, connotes criminal intent,” he said of the claims attributed to Ohanaeze.
“Those behind such acts are very ignorant of the damage they cause to themselves and the Igbo nation on a daily basis. They are reminded that every misconduct against the Igbo pantheon or the Imeobi Ohanaeze has its corresponding inevitable consequences.
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The group said it had on several occasions informed Nigerians that its secretary-general is Okey Emuchay and that Isiguzoro “is a meddling outsider using the sacred name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for narrow interests.”
It’s not the first time
Citing a few examples, Ohanaeze accused Isiguzoro of making repeated claims on behalf of the group, despite not being its general secretary.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, led by Iwuanyanwu, regrets the embarrassment often caused to the general public by misfit attention seekers who deploy the Ohanaeze Ndigbo name in the most detestable and deplorable proportions,” it said.
repeated efforts
Ohanaeze also said that he had made several unsuccessful efforts to prevent Isiguzoro and others who allegedly emerged from an Ohanaeze Ndigbo parallel election in January 2021 from running as Ohanaeze leaders.
The group said it obtained a court order on March 10 restricting the chairman of one faction of the group, Chidi Ibeh, a “disowned” Ohanaeze chief, Richard Ozobu, Mr. Isiguzoro and others from parading as their representatives. .
It said the judge, Uchenna Mogbo of the Enugu State High Court, declared that the “alleged parallel election of Ohanaeze National Executive Council officers held in Enugu State at the behest of the defendants is illegal and unconstitutional.”
“Since the court order of March 10, the Isiguzoro have been in hiding and Ohanaeze is asking for information about their whereabouts,” he said.
“We have deployed various available means, including contacting the traditional ruler of the Isiguzoro community to stop the damage he causes to the image of the main Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, without success,” added Ohanaeze. .