 |
| Ohanaeze Ndigbo |
The apex Igbo Socio-cultural Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Monday, debunked the statement credited to it that Atiku ‘’will never become Nigeria’s president”.
The body described the statement as false and misleading which was meant to tarnished the image of the organisation by impostors parading as Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
A statement by Ohanaeze spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, titled, ‘Ohanaeze Ndigbo debunks remarks on Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy,’ enjoined Nigerians to ignore it.
Ogbonnia said that the purveyors of the report were “mischief makers, impostors, charlatans and unscrupulous social climbers who have shamelessly leeched on the invaluable footprints of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to issue press releases for narrow, perverse and illicit pecuniary interests”.
The statement partly read, “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a reckless publication currently circulating in the media indicating that Ohanaeze Ndigbo “blasts Atiku and vows to work against his PDP candidacy in the 2023 polls; and that Atiku Abubakar, will never become Nigeria’s president”.
“The release added that “the Igbo would rise up against Atiku, adding that his presidential campaign would be rejected in the South-East”.
‘’Ordinarily, Ohanaeze Ndigbo would have ignored the said press release, but silence in this circumstance will tend to give validity to such fallacy by the unsuspecting public. It is the unwholesome activities of such maladjusted, impish scaremongers that has been the bane to Igbo cohesion. For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor has not issued any press statement on the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“Ohanaeze awaits with keen interest the full outcome of the ongoing primaries by all the political parties before it can issue a press release with respect to the Igbo position on the 2023 general election. We remind the general public that the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is Ambassador Okey Emuchay, MFR and that any claim to the contrary is to say the least, devious and irresponsible.”
Meanwhile, Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has threatened to stop the campaign of any Igbo presidential candidate in the North ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The group claimed a prominent Igbo group also made a similar threat not to allow any Northern presidential candidate hold a rally in any state in the South-East.
Isah Abubakar, President of NYCN, made the threat on Monday in Kaduna while reacting to claims by the Igbo socio-political and cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide opposing the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presidential flag bearer who recently emerged its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.