Politics
We never endorsed Atiku, his friends did —Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Ohaneze Ndigbo has said it never endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The denial is coming almost two months after the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation reportedly endorsed the PDP presidential candidate during an event in Enugu State.
But Ohanaeze deputy national publicity secretary, Chuk Ibegbu, said at a media brief to mark the second anniversary of the current executive of the body, that the clarification became necessary following misconceptions on the event of November 14, 2018 where some Igbo leaders endorsed the candidacy of Atiku for presidency.
He said, “It is erroneous to say that we endorsed Atiku. Ohaneze 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.
“Ohaneze Ndigbo has been canvassing for our people to identify with candidates that will restructure Nigeria.
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“We still stand on that and in the next few days we shall meet to take a holistic position on the elections.”
On what the body has so far been able to achieve under the leadership of its current President General, John Nnia Nwodo, Ibegbu said within two years in office “we have given our modest contribution by re-jigging Igbo leadership and issues concerning our people”.
Adding that the current leadership of the body had built synergy with its affiliate groups, Ibegbu said the dexterity and leadership acumen of Nwodo had positively affected the relationship between the organisation and other ethnic socio-cultural associations in the country.
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