The apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Monday distanced itself from a statement rejecting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 general elections, IgbereTV reports
Abubakar won the PDP presidential primary held last Saturday in Abuja.
His success in the primary election was contrary to the wishes of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo who expected the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South-East.
The group had reportedly said on Sunday that the people of the South-East would not vote Abubakar in next year’s election.
However, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the group described the report as handiwork of mischief makers who were bent on causing confusion in the South-East.
The statement 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 press release added that the Igbo will 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.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo will wait for 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.
