The President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo has reacted to the claims by Junaid Mohammed which said he (Nnia Nwodo) knelt down in 2001 before a group of Nothern politicians to beg to be made the President describing the comment as “mendacious and incendiary”
In a press statement signed by Chief Emeka Attamah, the SA on Media to the PG on Media and Publicity, he described the claim as “as fallacious, as it is a tissue of lies and a figment of his obviously distorted imagination intended to cast aspersions on the person of Chief Nwodo.”
Chief Attamah maintained that, contrary to the claim that Chief Nwodo knelt down before any “phantom” group, “It is on record that it was Chief Nwodo who led the walk out at their national convention when the charade called election was skewed in favour of Muhammadu Buhari, against the zoning policy of the party.”
He went on to caution Dr. Junaid to desist from attempting to “sully the image of Chief Nwodo which Nigerians know remains unassailable.”
The statement reads;
“Our attention has been drawn to a mendacious and incendiary interview granted to the press by Dr Junaid Mohammed purporting that the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, knelt down in 2001 before a group of northern politicians to beg to be made president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The claim by Dr Junaid is as fallacious as it is a tissue of lies and a figment of his obviously distorted imagination intended to cast aspersions on the person of Chief Nwodo.
“While it is true that the President General was a presidential aspirant then under the ANPP, just like the current President, Muhammadu Buhari, and went round the country campaigning like others, at no time did he condescend to kneeling down to beg for favour from any group.
“Firstly, Dr Junaid and his group did not possess the singular capacity to make anybody a president. It required the collective mandate of his party then for him to emerge as their flag-bearer. It is on record that it was Chief Nwodo who led the walk out at their national convention when the charade called election was skewed in favour of Muhammadu Buhari, against the zoning policy of the party.
“Secondly, if there were parameters to determine a credible aspirant to be supported by the phantom kingmakers as Dr Junaid claimed, Chief Nwodo eminently qualified then to lead this country by stature, intellectual erudition and managerial competence.
“There is no gain saying the fact that if he had been given the opportunity to lead the country when he sought for it, Nigeria would not be in the sad state it is today, because both as an astute lawyer and economist, he would have enthroned equity, good governance and a focused and thriving economy all would be proud of.
“Therefore, for Dr Junaid Mohammed to want to denigrate the impeccable record of Chief Nwodo will not diminish his stature and person before those who already know his acclaimed competence and integrity.
Dr Junaid is an incurable irredentist and only seeking to revive a political revelance he no longer possesses.
“However, he will do well not to try to sully the image of Chief Nwodo which Nigerians know remains unassailable.”
