Igbo Presidency Gets Boost As Ohanaeze, Traditional Rulers Mobilise Support For South East Aspirants

…As Ohanaeze Factions Resolve Dispute Ahead Of 2023

The quest for an Igbo Presidency has received a boost as the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and South East Leaders have summoned presidential aspirants of Igbo extraction to a close door meeting.

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The meeting would help fashion out strategies for the deployment of human and material resources to ensure victory in the quest for the emergence of Ndigbo as presidential candidates in the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The development is contained in a communique after an extraordinary meeting of the concerned stakeholders of Ala-Igbo dated May 11, 2022, sent to THE WHISTLER.

The meeting was held at the Chike Nwizu Hall, Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd, Achi Street, Independence Layout, Enugu and attended by the representatives of the Igbo Archbishops and Bishops among others.

The region has notable presidential candidates like: Peter Obi (PDP), Anyim Pius Anyim (PDP), Rochas Okorocha (APC), Dave Umahi (APC), and Ogbonnaya Onu (APC) among others.

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Since 1999, the region has not produced a president or vice president. But the clamour for an Igbo president has taken a new shape.

Consequently, the long dispute over the legitimate President General of the Igbo Socio-cultural group has also been resolved ahead of the 2023 general election, according to the document.

The communique reads, “The Joint Body of South East Council of Traditional Rulers and the Representatives of Igbo Archbishops & Bishops, who have been playing a lead-role on the matters concerning Ala-Igbo is called upon, as a matter of extreme urgency, to convene a closed-door meeting with South East Presidential aspirants and other key stakeholders.

“The meeting will approve strategies for the deployment of human and material resources to ensure victory in the quest for the emergence of Ndigbo as Presidential candidates, in the key political parties, vis-à-vis the strategic relevance of the Igbo nation in the Nigerian question.”

Recall that after the Ohanaeze Ndigbo national election in Owerri on January 10, 2021, crises broke which led to the Chidi Ibeh-led faction.

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A document dated April 2, 2022 seen by THE WHISTLER revealed that a group, the ‘Concerned Imeobi Members (CIM)’, had written the President General of Ohanaeze, Prof George Obiozor, on the need to convene for the consideration of the recommendations of the Igbo Archbishops and Bishops on the resolution of the crisis.

The group recommended April 23 for Obiozor to convene the meeting.

A separate letter was sent on the 19th of April to the President General for the meeting.

The report of the representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops presented by Most Rev. Prof. E.A. Ituma, on behalf of Archbishop C.R. Opoko recommended that Prof. George Obiozor should maintain his role as President General; Deputy President General – Barr. Uche Okwukwu, while Secretary General is Prince Okechukwu Nwadinobi.

The communique which was adopted reads, “The recommendations of the Representatives of Igbo Archbishops & Bishops have been accepted in their entirety for implementation.

:Accordingly, the new unifying National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze is constituted with the Leadership as follows: President General – Prof. George Obiozor; Deputy President General – Barr. Uche Okwukwu; Secretary General -Prince Okechukwu Nwadinobi.”

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