The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reacted to the attack on the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi by the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo.
The body, while restating support for Obi, also refuted trending claims that it has invoked two Igbo deities on Soludo for pooh-poohing Obi’s candidacy.
A statement issued by Ohanaeze’s National Public Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia entitled, ‘Soludo to Deity – A Disclaimer’ on Wednesday, said for the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has never contemplated consulting two deities in seeking solutions for the Igbo dilemma.
It said the Igbo are profoundly endowed in various ways least of which is a resort to deities.
The body said on November 15, 2022, the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo held a meeting presided over by Obiozor, stating that the issue of the place of the Igbo in 2023 was elaborately discussed, wherein Obiozor stated: ‘Having traversed the length and breadth of the country on an advocacy mission for the emergence of a President of Nigeria from the South East zone in the 2023 general elections.
“We expected a positive outcome, but the two major political parties, APC and PDP rejected with impunity and impudence the practice and convention of the last twenty years of rotation and zoning of the office of the President.
“However, the emergence of Mr Peter Obi as of today has fulfilled all the expectations of Ndigbo to participate in the 2023 Presidential elections which includes winning the primaries of the party and being nominated as the Presidential candidate of the party.
The statement said this was the advice given to all Igbo contestants in the 2023 Presidential election which is appropriate by virtue of justice, equity and fairness.
The group said the whole country knew this to be the truth and the whole world knew this to be the fact, as all of them are watching events in Nigeria either with trepidation or doubt.
“The situation in the country today offers Ndigbo the opportunity to relaunch themselves in all socio-political dimensions.
“Yet, we must keep asking the rest of Nigerians, ‘what do they really want to do with Ndigbo? The decision will be theirs and the response will be ours.”
“We rather used the opportunity to thank all the eminent Nigerians that have lent their support or thrown their weight behind the cause of justice, equity, unity, progress and corporate existence of Nigeria in the person of Mr Peter Obi,” the group said.
“For Ohanaeze Ndigbo, it is either one is with us or against us but never will Nigerians be distracted, since history beckons. For several years to come, it will be recorded as “once upon a time, Ndigbo were shortchanged in the political calculations of Nigeria and Mr Peter Obi from Anambra State braved up to change the narratives and that he was able to fill the Nigerian expectations.
“All the dynamics and intrigues associated with the above scenario will form the essential component of the Igbo history,” it said.
