Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council in Abuja last Wednesday cautioned the Director of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for asking Igbos to boycott the 2019 Presidential elections. This was part of the resolutions of the Imeobi meeting of the Council of Elders held in Abuja last Wednesday. The body opined that the call for boycott of polls by Nnamdi Kanu was plot to frustrate the Atiku-Obi ticket and deny millions of Igbos votes capable of giving victory to the opposition.
The body decided to send message to Nnamdi Kanu in his hideout in Israel not to be used by enemies of Ndigbo to fight the Atiku-Obi joint ticket. Ohanaeze expressed sadness that the choice of Peter Obi as running mate to Atiku Abubakar is meeting with unnecessary opposition within some sections of the Igbo elites. The case of the aggrieved Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu was extensively discussed with tensions rising high during the meeting. Ohanaeze eventually resolved to send another delegation to Atiku commending his choice of running mate while the other delegation pacifies Senator Ekweremadu over his inability to be chosen to contest as Vice President.
The discussions on Nnamdi Kanu, Peter Obi, Ekweremadu and Atiku rose tempers during the meetings but everything was resolved after interventions of the Chairman Ohanaeze Elders Forum and former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Dr Ibe Nwosu ( Ezeigbo of Abuja, ), Senator Fidelis Okoro( member PDP BOT), Air Vice Marshal Okpere (rtd), Major General Ogunlede(rtd), Rev Dr Obinna Akukwe (Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress), Princess Ibeneme among others.
In another vein, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Abuja is preparing for the 80th birthday celebration of ‘Okwadike Igboukwu’ Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife tomorrow at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Dignitaries expected at the event include Igbo leaders from Nigeria and Diasporas. The Chairperson of the organizing committee, Senator Uche Ekwunife, while briefing the celebrant and Igbo leaders last week said that ‘Okwadike @80’ is a celebration of an intellectual activist.
Meanwhile Nigerian pastors and clerics in Enugu have been told to heed the message of Ohanaeze Ndigbo not to boycott next year’s polls in order not to give room for ‘State of Emergency’ of any kind in Nigeria. Briefing the members of Nigerian League of Pastors for Good Governance in Enugu today, the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress, Rev Dr Obinna Akukwe asked them to discountenance calls by IPOB to boycott elections as this will pave for further enslavement of Igbos. He reminded them of how the partial boycott of the last census in parts of the South East affected the revenue allocation formula in the zone.
Rev Akukwe, while inaugurating the Nigerian League of Pastors for Good Governance, Enugu State and local Govt chapters, asked them to continue to be able watchmen holding political leaders accountable. The league of Pastors in Enugu also sent a delegation led by Rev Paschal Nwaigwe (a governorship aspirant) to represent them at the 80th birthday of Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife at Abuja tomorrow with a special goodwill message.
