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Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Thursday, debunked a report by a section of the media describing as “national calamity” the emergence of former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu as the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Some section of the media (not Vanguard) reported that Ohanaeze called Tinubu’s emergence as APC presidential flag bearer “national calamity”.
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However, in a statement, the spokesperson, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, said they had no hands in the content, describing the information as “unfortunate”.
According to the statement titled: “Remarks on Bola Ahmed Tinubu – A Disclaimer,” Ohanaeze said those behind the reckless comments are mischief-makers and impostors doing so for unlawful monetary interests.
It reads: “The attention of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo has been drawn to a statement circulating in some sections of the media, attributed to our organisation, describing the recent election of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as a ‘national calamity, considering the enormity of the baggage he is burdened with’.
“We wish to quickly state as follows:
“The statement did not originate from Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. We have no hands in the content, context, comprehension and delivery of the unfounded statement.
“Ohanaeze read the message with sadness and views its contents as unfortunate, especially the attacks in that statement on the person and health status of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The statement is very unfortunate, irresponsible, diversionary and most reprehensible. We had earlier stated that those behind such fake press releases are mischief-makers, impostors, charlatans and unscrupulous social climbers who have shamelessly leeched 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.
“We state clearly that the author of the unfortunate statement is not the Secretary General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo.
“The Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is H.E. Okay Emuchay and not the impostor that authored the ill-informed, ill-advised statement.”
Our position
The group further stated that it has no personal issues with Tinubu to deserve the reckless remarks on his person, adding that it has been monitoring political developments unravelling in the country, and will make its position at the appropriate time.
It reads further: “For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze has no personal issues with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to warrant the careless comments on his person although we certainly have issues with the current political arrangement and structure that appear to be an orchestrated policy to alienate, isolate, exclude, marginalize and frustrate Ndigbo in a country that bears eloquent testimonies of Igbo sweat, sacrifice, ambience and transformation.
“On the unfolding political developments in the country, we wish to inform all Nigerians and Ndigbo at home and in the Diaspora that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor is following the political developments very closely with keen interests and will make its position public at the appropriate time.”
