Ohanaeze Rejects Plot to Install Ohakim as President-General

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said it was strongly opposed to alleged plots by two South-east governors to install the former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, as the next President-General of the body.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo also condemned attempts to amend the organisation’s constitution with the aim of facilitating a tenure elongation for the current president-general from Imo State.

It stressed that the restoration of Igbo lineage in Rivers State, which had suffered greatly since the Biafra War, was a mission requiring collective strength and unity.

In a statement issued by Secretary General of the organisation, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze stated that with less than 90 days to its scheduled election, there were plots aimed at side-lining Rivers State in the election of the next president-general.

Isiguzoro said the body stood against any attempts to usher a former governor into the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stressing that those who defy historical precedents and warnings of their ancestral spirits would face severe repercussions.

According to them, “Recent actions suggest that an unpatriotic Igbo organisation has been mobilised to entice Chief Ikedi Ohakim, a respected former governor, into pursuing a non-existent position as President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“We urge Chief Ohakim to summon his righteous resolve and unequivocally decline such temptations. At this stage of his life, with a rich and storied political history, we implore him to focus on the political landscape where his leadership is genuinely needed—whether that be as a governor (for a single term), senator, vice president, or even the president of Nigeria in the near future.

“Should Chief Ohakim heed the voice of wisdom, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will fervently support his re-election as governor of Imo State.

“Chief Ohakim must take heed and be mindful of those deceitful political elites who have misled two Igbo elder statesmen from Imo State, leading them to dismal ends, despite the numerous admonitions from the Igbo College of Archbishops and Bishops advocating for peace and restoration within Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“He should recognise that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is presently in a constitutionally mandated transition period, and it would be both short-sighted and detrimental for him to act as an impediment to the emergence of the next President-General from Rivers State.”

The statement added, “As a sagacious leader, Chief Ikedi Ohakim is certainly aware of the sacred opportunity he was afforded during his tenure as Governor of Imo State from 2007 to 2011.

“In spite of the myriad challenges that marred his administration, the divine has cleansed his reputation; thus, it is incumbent upon him to reject the allure of those whose intentions do not align with the prosperity of our people. He must refuse any invitations to act as an obstacle in this critical transitional phase for Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“Such actions are inherently illegitimate and betray the principles upon which our esteemed organisation was founded. We characterise such proposals as sordid—satanic and barbaric in nature—and we wish to communicate this without any ambiguity.

“To deny Rivers State the opportunity to assume the position of President-General in 2025 would constitute an egregious extension of 24 years of subjugation, an affront to the unity and aspirations of our people.”

The statement called on all members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other fellow citizens to remain vigilant in confronting the challenges, assuring that the next leader would emerge through a transparent process.