2023: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Speaks On Plans To ‘Finish’ Atiku Abubakar

The apex socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has distanced itself from reports that it is planning to work against the presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

CityNews Nigeria reports that the group has been at the forefront of the call for the presidency to be zoned to the South-East by the two major political parties on Nigeria.

But over the weekend Atiku from the North-East defeated Nyesom Wike, Bala Mohammed, Anyim Pius Anyim,  Bukola Saraki and other presidential aspirants.

Following the victory of Atiku, reports had emerged claiming Ohanaeze had condemned his victory, vowing to work against him in the 2023 presidential election.

But reacting in a statement on Monday, Ohanaeze spokesperson, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, denied such statement came from the group.

He accused mischief makers seeking to cause confusion in the south-east for peddling such report.

“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.”