Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, says it was wrong for Nigerians to relate statements from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a representation of the views of Ndigbo.
Ohanaeze explained that IPOB as a group does not speak for the Southeast as only Ohanaeze is entitled to do so, adding that the pro-Biafra group is entitled to its views.
The socio-cultural group also noted that it had been lobbying other regions to support the Southeast geopolitical zone to produce the next president and agreed with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on the need to lobby other regions.
Ohanaeze spokesman Alex Ogbonnia while responding to the statement by the Chairman of ACF, Chief Audu Ogbe that the Southeast must get the support of other regions to enable the zone produce the next president, noted that the idea of going round and lobbying other regions for support for the president from the Southeast region is good, adding that there’s nothing wrong about it.
According to him: “Chief Ogbe also knows that the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, has spoken to him about the need for the president to come from the Southeast geopolitical zone.
“We have also met the people of Southsouth and the people of Southwest. So, we are moving about.”
Ogbonnia called on Nigerians to support someone from the Southeast for president in 2023.
“We want to use this opportunity to remind the ACF that in 1959, the Igbo through Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe supported the North.
“Twenty years after in 1979, the Igbo through Alex Ekwueme, K.O. Mbadiwe, and others also supported the North which saw to the emergence of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as the president.
“Another 20 years after, the Igbo supported President Olusegun Obasanjo and thereafter, we supported Yar’adua and later Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. We have always been supporting others.
“Our simple prayer is for Nigerians to do unto the Igbo what we have been doing unto others,” he said.
On IPOB representing Ndigbo, Ogbonnia explained that: “The other thing which they also said is that IPOB is causing embarrassment and all that.
“It is strange and curious that some Nigerians would highlight the views expressed by IPOB and not the ones expressed by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“IPOB is an organisation. We have many organisations in Igboland.
“But Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the umbrella body of all the associations in Igboland.
“Nigerians should rather take the views of Ohanaeze as representing the entire Igbo people.”
