BY OHUIZU CHUKWUEBUKA / UMUAHIA
Concerned stakeholders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Wednesday issued a strong warning to Chief Chidi Ibe and Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro warning them to stop impersonating to be leaders of Ohanaeze.
In a communique signed after their meeting, the spokesperson of the concerned stakeholders, Ndubuisi Igwekani said that it is becoming a serious problem how the above-mentioned persons are embarrassing the entire Igbo nation using the name of Ohanaeze as a backup.
Igwekani accused former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha who he said used his battle with his rival, Governor Hope Uzodimma who produced George Obiozor as President-General of Ohanaeze to go ahead to sponsor Ibe as a purported factional Ohanaeze President-General.
He blamed former Ohanaeze President-General, Chief Nnai Nwodo for making the big mistake of handing Ohanaeze over to Governors to decide who will become the President-General against all due process.
Igwekani said that inasmuch as Nwodo did not follow due process in the election that produced Late Prof. George Obiozor as President-General then, there was no other election conducted by Richard Ozubu as been speculated that could have warranted Ibe and Isiguzoro to be claiming that they are both President-General and Secretary-General of Ohanaeze.
He said that they have spent time and money trying to reconcile people who felt aggrieved with the election that produced Obiozor, but stressed that now that the Late Diplomat is no more after rendering his own service, everybody should rally around the new President-General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu to take Ndigbo to the required position.
“All those angry should drop their anger and support Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu to drive us to the Promise Land. Yes, there was an issue in the election before, but there was no faction.
“We must support Elder Iwuanyanwu to ensure he redeemed the image of Ohanaeze by conducting a smooth election after his tenure since he has been produced by Imo State Chapter to complete their tenure. We must equally support him to keep throwing his weight around Mr Peter Obi in the struggle to reclaim his stolen mandate.”
He warned them to desist from using the name of Ohanaeze to endorse what it termed a fraudulent announcement of Bola Tinubu as President-Elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stressing that such mercantilist move is a complete sabotage of Igbo interest.
Igwekani said that at a time when all Nigerians who are not even Igbos are yet to accept the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, Ibe and Isiguzoro is going about claiming that Ohanaeze will attend Tinubu’s inauguration and canvassing for Senate Presidency.
“We spent time, we put energy, we supported our son, whom the entire country supported. We made sure all parts of the South-East came out to vote and we ensured nobody was disenfranchised here. By all ramifications, Mr Peter Obi won the election because all Nigerians saw what happened.
“While all Nigerians and other Socio-Political or Socio-Cultural groups are yet to accept Tinubu as President-Elect, Chidi Ibe and Okechukwu Isiguzoro are busy selling their futures for money claiming to be a faction of Ohanaeze. Who made them Ohanaeze leaders?
“These people have embarrassed Ndigbo enough and this warning we’re giving them is the last warning. They can’t be using Ohanaeze as a mercantilist movement. We know they’re political jobbers but they should create another group for that.
“We warned against handing Ohanaeze over to politicians but the past administration of Chief Nnai Nwodo made that mistake if not who are these people to be messing Ohanaeze’s name up? We are warning them that if they don’t stop, they’ll face the wrath of Ndigbo.”
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