Ohanaeze bans negative comments on quest for president of Igbo extraction in 2023

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide said it has ‘banned’ Igbos from making negative comments about the quest to have a president of Igbo extraction come 2023.

The group also urged Igbo leaders to save the political party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) founded by Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, from political extinction In 2021.

The group in a statement made available to Ripples Nigeria on Tuesday, said it observed the 86th posthumous birthday of Ojukwu, at Ojukwu Bunker in Umuahia Abia State, with prayers sessions and short speeches to “celebrate the people’s General and the Hero of igbos.”

Ojukwu was born on November 4, 1933 at Zungeru in northern Nigeria. He died on November 26, 2011.

In the statement by its president-general, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and secretary-general, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, to mark the posthumous birthday of Ojukwu, the Ohanaeze youth group said:

“We are comfortable to celebrate his (Ojukwu’s) life filled with bravery and uncommon courage to stand up for justice and fairness as the best way to immortalized his ideas for a better society for all Nigerians.

“OYC urge Igbos to use the 86th birthday of Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu to close ranks and show commitment towards actualizing 2023 Igbo Presidency Project.”

Noting that Ojukwu, in 2003 and 2007, contested for the president of Nigeria under APGA, the group said the act demonstrated that the late warlord believed “every Igbo man should aspire to be the president of Nigeria just like himself.”

The statement read further “We used this occasion to put restrictions or ban any Igbo elder or statesman from speaking in public against the actualization of a Nigerian President of Igbo stock in 2023, irrespective there are freedom of speech and expression.

“Any anti Igbo Presidency Project comments credited to any elder will attract heavy sanctions, as we can not accommodate sabouters amongst us.”

The youth also laud the wife of Ojukwu, Ambassador Iyom Bianca Ojukwu and urged continue to “flourish and shine as light of the Ojukwus.”

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It added that Igbo leaders should reposition APGA, “or the party will go into extinction after 2021, as the soul of APGA had been infested with accusations of corrupt practices and original ideas had departed from the party.

“We believe that there should be total cleansing and sanitation in the party to get rid of bad eggs for a fresh breath if not, the current leadership had prepared for the final burial of APGA in 2021.”

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