Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has distanced itself from a purported press statement circulating in the media regarding comments allegedly linked to former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that the document did not emanate from the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, described the publication as unauthorized and the handiwork of individuals seeking to exploit the organisation’s name for partisan political purposes.
According to him, the views expressed in the controversial statement do not reflect the position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide under the leadership of its President-General, Senator Azuta Mbata.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide hereby categorically disassociates itself from the said statement in its entirety. The position expressed therein by these subversive elements does not represent the view, mandate, or official communication of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide ably led by Sen. Azuta Mbata.”
The organisation reiterated its non-partisan status, stressing that it neither serves as a political platform nor acts on behalf of any political party, candidate or interest group.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not and will never function as a political appendage, electoral proxy, or spokesperson for any political party or individual, regardless of affiliation or aspiration.”
Dr. Chukwu stated that the organisation remains committed to its core mandate of promoting the unity, welfare and advancement of the Igbo people within the Nigerian federation.
He urged members of the public and media practitioners to ignore statements issued by unauthorised individuals or groups claiming to speak on behalf of Ohanaeze.
“The public is therefore advised to disregard such unauthorized pronouncements emanating from perfidious individuals or groups acting outside the established authority of the organization.”
The group lamented what it described as repeated attempts by certain individuals to hijack the Ohanaeze platform to advance partisan interests, warning that such actions were capable of misleading the public and undermining the organisation’s credibility.
“These recurring attempts to appropriate the Ohanaeze platform for partisan narratives are unfortunate, misleading, and unacceptable.”
The statement further condemned those allegedly exploiting the organisation’s name for personal or political gain.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide strongly condemns the activities of these malicious persons and narrow-minded interests who consistently exploit the revered name of the organization for political leverage, personal gain, or transactional influence, thereby seeking to misinform the public and distort the unity of purpose for which Ohanaeze stands.”
For clarification, the organisation identified Prince Okey Nwadinobi and Ambassador Emeka Sibeudu as the duly recognised Deputy President-General and Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide respectively.
Dr. Chukwu advised the public to rely solely on information disseminated through the organisation’s official communication channels to avoid being misled by fake statements and unauthorised representations.
