Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organization,has dismissed reports that it adopted the Labour Party, LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi as its candidate and political party in the forthcoming General elections.
Ohanaeze in a terse statement clarified that it remained apolitical in its dealings, adding that its position on the 2023 general was misconstrued by the press. Ohanaeze stressed that rather than support a Presidential candidate and party, it only encouraged Nigerians to ensure that they obtain their permanent voters card and vote for their choice.
It added that in its last statement the Ohanaeze outlined various criteria which electorates should look out for while making their decision on which Presidential candidate to vote for.
Ohanaeze in a statement released by Lagos State chapter President, Mr. Sunday Ossai urged Ndigbo and Nigerians in general to disregard the report that it has endorsed Peter Obi ahead of any other candidate nor did it endorse the Labour Party. Ossai added that the report was malicious, stating that the Political situation is very critical for the organisations to make such decisions in haste, disclosing that it will consult extensively before arriving at such a decision.
Ohanaeze however expressed displeasure in the officials and leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged attempts to disenfranchise Nigerians especially Igbos in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
He then urged INEC to extend the voter registration exercise while urging Ndigbo to besiege all centres of the ongoing Voter’s registration exercise and ensure that they obtain their voter’s cards before the closure of the exercise while calling on INEC to extend the PVC exercise till September 30th 2022 to accommodate millions of eligible voters to participate in 2023 elections.
“ The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has been drawn to a report making rounds that it has endorsed the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi as its candidate in the Presidential elections for next year 2023.
” For the sake of posterity We wish to state without equivocation that neither the national leadership nor the state chapter has made any formal pronouncement on the endorsements of Peter Obi as the Presidential candidate of Ohanaeze.
“We enjoin all Nigerians especially the good people of Southeast to disregard such information, which we consider as the malicious handwork of desperate Politicians to use the revered name of the Organisation to achieve their personal interests.
“Ohanaeze remains a social political organisation saddled with the objective of preserving and promoting the social cultural interests of Ndigbo regardless of political and or religious affiliation. We understand how important the 2023 general elections is to the future of Ndigbo and Nigeria at large , however we remain on course towards providing the needed direction which will be in the best interest of Ndigbo.
” We also call on Nigerians to rise up and demand from INEC to extend the enrollment of eligible voters till September 2022 as it appears that INEC is under pressure to disenfranchise the rights of Nigerians to participate in 2023 elections, there are undercover meetings to pressurized the INEC Chairman, to end the voter’s registration exercise by June 2022.