Ohanaeze has rejected the widely speculated news of endorsing presidential aspirant 'ATIKU'

Ohanaeze never endorsed Atiku –Secretary
•Apologise, South West chapter tells Obiano




yxzmedia.blogspot.com
Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka and Chukwudi Nweje

Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Okwukwu, yesterday, spilled the beans on the controversial Ohanaeze endorsement of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as he declared that the apex Igbo body has not endorsed any candidate in next month’s presidential election.

Okwukwu, who is a legal practitioner, told Daily Sun in a telephone interview that what took place at Nike Hotel, Enugu, last Thursday, where the controversial endorsement communiqué emanated from, could not be considered as valid Imeobi meeting of Ohanaeze.

His bombshell came just as the Anambra State government has said the grouse with Ohanaeze has nothing to do with the vice presidential candidature of the immediate past governor of the state, Peter Obi, but the body’s lack of respect for the great Zik of Africa, late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Also, yesterday, a group under the aegis of Igbo Integrity Forum, piqued by the development in Ohanaeze called on the apex body to commence suspension proceedings of the President General, Chief John Nwodo, for allegedly endorsing the PDP’s presidential candidate, using Ohanaeze’s name.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo scribe urged the people not to lose sleep over the purported endorsement as it was not done by the group, adding that he neither saw nor signed any communiqué, hence, making such pronouncement a nullity.

He said: “What I said and I want to be recorded is that the Imeobi that was held on Thursday, January 24, 2019, at Nike Lake cannot be considered to be valid.

“Major stakeholders were not present, there was no state governor, there was no speaker of any assembly and there was no senator.

“And more painful is that the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, David Umahi, had earlier agreed with the president general for the Imeobi meeting to be put at 6:00p.m or 7:00p.m, and he announced that, only to use the voice vote to bring down the time to four o’clock. And, later, before 6:00p.m, some of the major stakeholders arrived.

“Now, I’m the secretary, you cannot issue a communiqué without the signatory of the secretary.

“The procedure to come up with a communiqué is that there is a communiqué drafting committee, the committee drafts the communiqué and they subject it to ratification by vote, none of that took place.”

Meanwhile, Ohaneze Ndigbo, South West chapter, has demanded public apology from governor Obiano over an alleged statement disparaging Chief Nwodo.

Obiano had reportedly said Ohanaeze’s endorsement of the duo of Atiku and Obi for the 2019 general election is idiotic.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Prince Erondu Uche, Ohanaeze said Atiku and Obi were unanimously adopted by the highest decision body, the Imeobi, because it is in the “best interest of the Igbo.”

Uche said Obiano has been a major beneficiary of Ohanaeze, and that he is displaying signs of “ingratitude” by his statement.

“It is quite untoward and disappointing to note that a man who is shining today as a result of the solid foundation laid by Peter Obi had the effrontery to insult the Igbo because of the same man,” Uche said.

Uche added that whatever achievements that has made Obiano stands out among other governors is credited “the solid foundation laid by Peter Obi.”