*Constitutes 40- man electoral committee
From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The President General, OhanaezeNdigbo worldwide, Chief NniaNwodo, who is on the verge of serving out his tenure, yesterday disclosed that he has no ‘anointed candidate’ or desire to choose his successor, saying that his only interest is for the election to be conducted within the tenets of the constitution of the organisation.
Nwodo gave this hint as ‘ImeobiOhanaeze ‘(inner caucus) meeting held at Nike lake hotel constituted a 40 man- committee to organise a peaceful election within the month of January 2021 that Will usher in new national leadership of the apex socio cultural of the Igbo nation.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Nwodo said the reports trending in the social media that some candidates through the influence of South East governors have been selected and considered as mere speculation. He said that no authority of amount of speculation will deviate the stipulated guidelines on methods of conducting Ohanaeze election to be aborted.
He went memory lane to explain how the rotational principle as embedded in Ohanaeze constitution favours Imo state in producing the next President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, after him.
A list of the 40 member electoral committee shows that the five major Igbo tribe stated of Abia, Anambra Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states have four members each, while Delta and Rivers state have three each. Diaspora Igbos were given two nominations, Ohanaeze Youth wing has two, two to ASETU, one to Ndigbo Lagos. Other Igbo pressure groups were considered with a candidate each.
Complaints from both the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige and Senator Rochas Okorocha, that they were not consulted as stakeholders in their respective states of Anambra and Imo states so they can make input was overruled. They called for the cancellation of the nominated candidates, but a motion for the adoption of the nomination was moved, seconded and massively accepted when Chief NniaNwodo called for voice vote.
The Imo state governor, chief Hope Uzodinma, Who spoke on behalf of the South East governors tasked members of the electoral committee to perform their duties diligently, stating the South East governors are willing to work harmoniously with new leadership of the organisation. On behalf of his colleagues, he commended Chief Nnia Nwodo leadership òfOhanaeze Ndigbo for taking the organisation to laudable heights.
Prominent Igbo sons who attended the Imeobi Ohanaeze meeting include Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator AnyimUde, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the Obi of Onitsha Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Dr OkwyNwodo, among others.
