Ahead of today’s election to determine new set of executives and leaders of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a candidate vying for the post of the national publicity secretary of the organization has withdrawn.
Announcing his withdrawal from the race, the candidate, Mazi Ikechukwu Bismarck Oji, described the election as ‘a show of shame’ designed to throw up a ‘predetermined candidate’ as the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Oji noted that he supports calls by critical stakeholders to postpone the election and set up a caretaker committee to make way for the conduct of a more credible and transparent election.
A statement issued by the candidate said: “I, MAZI IKECHUKWU BISMARCK OJI, MNSE, a candidate for the position of National Publicity Secretary in the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Election scheduled to hold on Sunday, 10th January, 2021 wishes to announce my withdrawal from the election in compliance with the position of concerned Imeobi members and other critical stakeholders that the election should be postponed and a caretaker committee under the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) South East be set up to make way for the conduct of a more credible and transparent election, thereby saving Ndigbo from shame and chaos.
“The Owerri Show of Shame does not meet the mininum requirements for a credible election as it is fashioned towards the installation of a predetermined candidate dubbed ‘Concensus Candidate’ as the Ohanaeze President General.
“Pursuant to that, all those not in the line up of the said ‘Concensus candidate’, including myself were disenfranchized from the Electoral process, ab initio by exclusion from the Local Government and State Congresses that ought to produce the delegates for the National election.
“As such, there was no need for further participation in the fundamentally flawed election.
“It is this insistence on ‘imposing the so called concensus candidate’ on Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a man who through his own evidence via his campaign flyer, had hitherto a zero involvement in Ohaneze Ndigbo, the organization he intends to lead, that is about to destroy Ohanaeze, the Igbo apex socio-cultural organization. How can someone be imported from outside an organization to lead it when there are other eminently qualified Imeobi members from Imo State?
“As of today, majority of the members of Imeobi, including Igbo elder statesmen such as Chief Mbazulike Amechi, Pa Onyeso Nwachukwu, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu, Rtd, Prof T. U. Nwala, Prof Elo Amucheazi, etc as well as very respected Igbo organizations such as Ala-Igbo Development Foundation (ADF), World Igbo Congress (WIC), Igbo World Assembly (IWA), Global Igbo Leaders (GIL)have all advised that the election be shelves so as to addressing critical concern pertaining its conduct.
“Even the Igbo political class as represented by the South East National Assembly Caucus under Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Rt. Hon. Toby Okechukwu have joined their voices to ask that the election be put on hold.
“Why is the present Ohanaeze leadership intent on ignoring the genuine concerns of majority of Ndigbo and pushing on with the election?
“Finally, I urge our revered religious leaders under the Christian Association of Nigeria Nigeria (CAN) South East to step forward and set up a Caretaker committee to midwife a credible election within two months in line with their pastoral responsibility of peace building.
“This will go a long way in saving Ndigbo from the chaos which has ensued from the parallel executives and factionalization resulting from the deliberately flawed Electoral process. That is the only way to bring peace to the heart of Pa Onyeso Nwachukwu, a 97 year old Ohanaeze Ndigbo veteran who feels deeply apalled at the terrible turn of events in Ohaneze Ndigbo and Ala-Igbo. That is also the only way the current Igbo leaders shall avoid the wrath of Ikemba Ojukwu (Agụ Ndigbo) and other departed Ohanaeze leaders whose spirits are surely agitated at this hour.
“Indeed, this is a battle for the soul of Ala-Igbo and I urge Ndigbo, particularly those of my generation, who have been actively involved in Ohaneze Ndigbo at the national level for over twenty years to steadfastly resist those who want to hand Ohanaeze over to a certain Fulani ‘perpetual Presidential candidate’ in contravention of the mammoth support being enjoyed by the Igbo (South East) Presidency 2023 Project which led to the landmark Igbere Declaration on January 5th, 2021 where Igbo political bigwigs across party lines resolved to work together for the project.
“Ndigbo, Oge eruola, it is time to seize the opportunity presented by this impasse to take Ohanaeze Ndigbo from the South East Governors who it was handed over to as an extension of their office and return it to Ndigbo, both the Ọha and the Eze.”
