BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, says it has no plans to immediately congratulate the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, as president-elect and vice president-elect, with their announced victory during the February 25 presidential election currently being challenged in court.
Pointedly, the body said with the Labour Party (LP) flag bearer, Mr Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar having commenced their legal battles against the poll’s results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it will be premature and hasty to salute the APC team for now.
Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Alex Ogbonnia, the group said it fully endorsed the decision by Obi regarding the 2023 presidential poll, agreeing that the election was marred by gross abnormalities compared to previous ones held in the country.
Ogbonnia, who said Ohanaeze does not doubt the capacity of the former Anambra State governor to recover his mandate on account of his past record, stated thus; “The election was marred by a lot of irregularities that have not been recorded in history. To that extent, we endorse the speech made by Obi with respect to the 2023 election.
“Obi also highlighted the irregularities, he highlighted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, gave us false impressions about how they will conduct the election, saying he is going to court to recover his mandate.”
Defending Ohanaeze’s position further, the Spokesman said; “We have no doubt in Obi’s capacity to recover his mandate because he had done so in Anambra. By God’s grace, by the time he recovers the mandate; everything in the scenario will change.
“So, we cannot begin to talk about the president-elect when we are sure that the wrong person has been declared the winner. Obi said he has evidence that he won the election. To that extent, it is difficult for us to begin to embrace Tinubu as president-elect.”
A former President of the Igbo think tank group, Aka Ikenga, and a chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, also spoke in the same vein saying; “Ohanaeze endorsed Obi and so did Afenifere and the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum.
“If all of them endorsed Peter and he is fighting, then they can’t be the ones dictating what to do or what not to do to the president-elect. As a matter of fact, all they can do right now is wish him (Obi) well.”
“Also, tell the president-elect that if he is confirmed by the Supreme Court, he should remember to run an all-inclusive government without paying attention to who voted for or against him. If you notice also, Ohanaeze has not congratulated the president-elect. Formally, Ohanaeze has actually rejected the results”, he said
