The National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka has warned Chief Nnia Nwodo to jettison his secret plot to sell out against the overall interest of Ndigbo over the choice of the next PG of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Southeast governors according to Igboayaka, are merely serving the interests of northern political mafia.
Igboayaka stated this while addressing newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday 18th November 2020 over the outcome of the National Executive Council meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo presided by Chief Nnia Nwodo on Thursday 12, November 2020. He noted that the secret plan of the ill-constituted electoral committee is the beginning of Nwodo’s failure.
He said it was undemocratic for Nnia Nwodo to ask governors to nominate two persons out of three per state to make up the Electoral Committee and reemphasized that Ohanaeze Ndigbo can’t be Southeast governors political clique or support association, stressing that any attempt to sell Ohanaeze Ndigbo to the governors must be resisted by over 30 million Igbo youths both home and in diaspora.
“Nnia Nwodo wants to avoid having the Igbo elders/Imeobi scrutinize his actions. Constitutionally, the Imeobi is the body charged to set up the Electoral Committee, the NEC only recommends but by swearing in the committee without recourse to Imeobi, its usurpation of Imeobi is an impeachable act and a challenge of integrity”, Igboayaka stated.
Speaking further, the OYC National President, Igboayaka regretted that since the tenure of Nnia Nwodo, the Ohanaeze General Assembly, Ohanaeze’s highest decision making body has not met once. “Imeobi has only met 3 times, last time being in February, 2019 when he endorsed Atiku Abubakar as South East presidential candidate”.
The youth leader described the forthcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo election as the “last bread of Ndigbo especially the youths”, stressing that it will not be business as usual. He, therefore, warned Southeast governors and Nnia Nwodo to follow due process and respect democratic principle without any single compromise.
Igboayaka added that Igbo youths will not trade Ohanaeze Ndigbo election with any individual’s political interest, disagreeing with Nwodo who said in the meeting last week that any position allotted to any state, the governors should recommend or appoint the person and it shall be accepted by the general delegates.
In a press statement where he raised these objections through his SA Chukwuemeka Chimerue therefore, queried the rationale behind the Ohanaeze Ndigbo election if the governors are to appoint members of the National Executive Council which by implication means that since it is the turn of Ndi Imo to produce the next President General of the apex Igbo organization, it is the right of the Imo state governor to appoint the next President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. He therefore, described the above plans by Nnia Nwodo and Co. as people playing with the tail of a hungry lion.
He disclosed that the 2021 Ohanaeze Ndigbo election will be the first time Igbo youths and Ndigbo at large will pick interest and throw their massive strength to enthrone a credible leadership in Ohanaeze, stressing that the poor representation that has subjected Igbo youths into an untold hardship, neglect, injustice, maiming, wanton killings and insecurity are part of the reasons and circumstances behind Ndigbo’s determination to decisively deal with any political profiteers that may attempt to jeopardize the credibility of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo election.
Igboayaka called on all progressive-minded Igbo men and women of goodwill both at home and those living abroad, along with other concerned organizations to rise and stop Nnia Nwodo from the planned kangaroo election.
