Ohanaeze: We never said Igbo will rise up against Atiku… impostors are at work

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-political organisation, has denied reports that it will work against the election of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abubakar was, on Saturday, elected to represent the PDP in the 2023 presidential election.

His emergence as the standard-bearer of the PDP goes against the demand of south-easterners that political parties field candidates from the zone.

On Sunday, reports credited to Ohanaeze claimed that the south-east will work against Atiku’s candidacy and his campaigns will be rejected in the geo-political zone.

Reacting to the development in a statement shared with TheCable on Monday, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze spokesperson, said the report was issued by mischief makers seeking to cause confusion in the south-east.

“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 statement reads.

“The press 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 therefore imperative to inform that those behind the fake press release are 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. It is the unwholesome activities of such maladjusted, impish scaremongers that have been the bane of 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.”

Ogbonnia added that Ohanaeze awaits the “full outcome of the ongoing primaries by all the political parties” before it can issue a press release about the Igbo position on the 2023 general election.