Against this background, a faction of Ohanaeze, with one Isiguzoro as secretary general, announced yesterday that Soludo had been dragged to the two deities for arbitration.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by Amb George Obiozor, today, disclaimed such. Its national publicity secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, in a statement, described the reports of taking Soludo to deities as ‘bizarre and reckless’.
According to him, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide would have ignored the said press release, but silence in this circumstance will tend to give validity to such a fallacy by the unsuspecting public.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has never contemplated consultation to deities in seeking solutions for the Igbo dilemma. The Igbo are profoundly endowed in various ways least of which is a resort to deities.
“It needs be added that on November 15, 2022, the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo held a meeting presided over by Obiozor. The issue of the place of the Igbo in 2023 was elaborately discussed.”
According to the release, “The emergence of Mr Peter Obi as of today has fulfilled all the expectations of Ndigbo to participate in the 2023 presidential elections which include winning the primaries of the party and being nominated as the presidential candidate of the party.
“The position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and of course the Igbo with respect to 2023 is constant. We thank all the eminent Nigerians that have lent their supports or thrown their weight behind the cause of justice, equity, unity, progress and corporate existence of Nigeria in the person of Mr Peter Obi.
“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.”
Ohanaeze therefore disclaimed the release, adding that the source of the release was fake.
Ohanaeze stated that, “The secretary general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is Ambassador Okey Emuchay, and any claim to the contrary are mischief-makers, impostors, charlatans, social climbers and those media navigators who leech on the invaluable footprints of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to issue press releases for narrow, perverse and illicit pecuniary interests.
“It is such unwholesome activities by some maladjusted, impish scaremongers that have been the bane of Igbo cohesion and progress. It is worth repeating that various eminent Igbo dignitaries have appealed to such mischief-makers to appreciate that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide represents the Igbo history, emotions, collectivity, spirituality, unity and strength.”