The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denied
endorsing Alhaji Atiku Abubarka, the candidate of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election.
The
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Mr Chuks Ibegbu
disclosed this on Thursday in Enugu at a media briefing to mark the
second anniversary of the current executive of the organisation.
Ibegbu
said that the clarification became necessary following misconceptions
on the event of Nov. 14, 2018 where some Igbo leaders endorsed the
candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for presidency.
It would be recalled
that some Igbo leaders had, during a meeting in Enugu, attended by Atiku
and the national leaders of the PDP including the Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki, endorsed Atiku.
Ibegbu, however, clarified that
the said endorsement was done by the friends of Atiku, adding that the
organisation had not endorsed any particular candidate.
The
deputy national publicity secretary said that the organisation needed to
be circumspect, “as our children are in all the political parties.’
“It
is erroneous to say that we endorsed Atiku. Ohanaeze Ndigbo did not
endorse anybody. That meeting at Nike Lake Resort was organised by
friends of Atiku.
“However, due to our peculiar circumstance in
the country, we will identify with candidates that will restructure
Nigeria if voted into power,” he said.
He said that the organisation would soon meet to take a holistic position on the 2019 general elections.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been canvassing for our people to identify with candidates that will restructure Nigeria.
“We still stand on that and in the next few days we shall meet to take a holistic position on the elections,” he said.
Ibegbu
noted that within the two years in office of the Chief John Nwodo led
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, “we have given our modest contribution by re-jigging
Igbo leadership and issues concerning our people”.
He said that
the current leadership of the organisation had built synergy with its
affiliate groups with a view to achieving unity in the area.
He
said that the dexterity and leadership acumen of Nwodo had positively
affected the relationship between the organisation and other ethnic
socio-cultural associations in the country.
“This has earned the
president general an award as ‘Bridge Builder of the Nation’, which will
be presented to him on Jan. 17 by Daily Independent Newspapers,” Ibegbu
said.
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