Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has described as fallacious, outrageous, insipid, reckless and irresponsible a statement that Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, was not destined be President of Nigeria in 2023.
The statement trending in the media is credited to one ‘Ambassador Tony Chiemelu Obizoba, who claimed to be the Director-General [Implementation and Strategic Planning] of the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo General Assembly Worldwide.
The forum in a statement by it’s Chairman, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Secretary, Prof Charles Nwekeaku, further described it as unacceptable to ndi Igbo in general and the Igbo Elders Consultative Forum in particular.
“Ordinarily, the Igbo Elders Consultative Forum would not bother to waste its precious time on the vituperation, reckless joke and invidious remarks of a political jobber and self-styled Ambassador Obizoba, but for the consequent credibility question and identity crisis he has created it becomes imperative to set the records straight.
“First, is that Ohaneze Worldwide does not have any officer of a committee that answers a director-general.
“Second, the General Assembly of the Ohaneze has neither met nor mandated any so called committee to speak for it, as the Ohaneze Worldwide has a National Publicity Secretary and spokesman, Hon. Dr Alex Ogbonna.
“Third, Ohaneze Worldwide is still mourning our President General and great son of Nigeria, Ambassador Prof George Obiozor, who joined his ancestors recently, as it has no time to waste on reckless and insidious remarks credited to a faceless and self-styled Ambassador Obizoba, who could not be identified as a member of Ohaneze worldwide. Ohaneze General Assembly does not have any person that answers such a name.
“The stand of the Igbo Elders Consultative Forum as well as the Ohaneze Worldwide on the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections is already in the public domain, as the exercise was a total failure and great embarrassment to Nigeria since it failed all major indices of free, fair and credible elections.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, woefully failed to meet up the standards it sets for itself, as the entire exercise was a charade hence no reputable and credible organization as the Ohaneze Worldwide would rush to congratulate any person thrown up by such fraudulent, deceitful, unpatriotic and heinous day light robbery euphemistically called election.
‘The election was characterized by late arrival of voting materials and polling agents in various parts of the country, disenfranchisement of millions of eligible voters, naked intimidation of party agents at various collation centers in Lagos state, Rivers State, Edo State and other parts of the country, failure to upload the presidential results from the polling booths, yet it selectively uploaded the Senate and House of Representatives results of the same election as provides in the 2022 New Electoral Act, among other INEC fraudulent violations and double standards.
“If there is any person to be congratulated in that election, it is Mr Peter Obi and Mr Datti Ahmed of the labour Party, who have taken the world by storm by winning in many States of the Federation, including FCT, Abuja and Lagos State, the bastion of All Progressive Congress, APC.
“Mr Obi is the only candidate that scored above 25 per cent in FCT, Abuja as stipulates in the New Electoral Act, and, therefore, does not merit the hatchet job and naked charade of ‘Ambassador’ Chiemelu Obizoba, who strived woefully to impress his paid masters.
Mr Peter Obi has told the world that he is prepared to prove to the Court and the world at large that he won the Presidential Election of February 25, 2023 and is poised to reclaim his stolen mandate.
“The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, in liaison with the Ohaneze worldwide, clearly identifies with Mr Peter Obi, as we enjoin other progressive Nigerians and credible institutions to give him necessary support for evolution of a new and functional Nigeria that all of us will be proud to call a home. Mr Obi and Senator Ahmed have performed so well by winning elections in different parts of the country, thereby facilitating the unification of Nigeria, and deserve the commendation of every progressive Nigerian; hence the reckless vituperation of Mr Obizoba should be discarded and cast into the dust bin of history.”
