OHANAEZE LEADERSHIP: Uwazurike, Asoluka fault Obiozor’s emergence as consensus candidate


LEADING aspirants for the President-General of apex Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, picked holes in the emergence of Professor George Obiozor as the consensus candidate for the position.


Professor Obiozor, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States was on Monday presented as a consensus flag bearer by Imo State Leaders of Thought led by Elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu at an event held at the Government House, Owerri.

Three of the aspirants – former presidents of Igbo Think-Tank group Aka-Ikenga, Chiefs Chris Asoluka and Goddy Uwazurike; and former Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu spoke on the issue yesterday with Uwazurike and Asoluka describing Obiozor’s mode of emergence as consensus flag-bearer as illegal and unknown to Ohanaeze Constitution.



Asked his take on the development, Nwaorgu, who has been in the Ohanaeze leadership hierarchy for close to 20 years said he was still studying the situation. ”Sorry, I am not yet ready for comments on the issue,” he said in terse reply to a text message.

Owerri jamboree unknown to Ohanaeze constitution —Uwazurike

However, Uwazurike said the process of electing Ohanaeze leaders has no room for interlopers, and scuttles attempts to impose candidates, adding that the presentation of Obiozor as consensus candidate was a mere jamboree.

His words: ”Adoption of a consensus candidate for an office in Ohanaeze by a group of people is alien to the constitution. Ohanaeze only requires a candidate to purchase a form and contest for the post assigned to his state. In other words, I can go and gather 1,000 people and declare that Mr A is now a consensus candidate. Such an action goes to no issue except to massage the ego of Mr A . ”The Ime-obi is yet to sit to appoint an electoral committee. No electoral guidelines have been issued. So, what happened in Owerri is just a jamboree . Nobody can stop a candidate from election. This is because the Ohanaeze constitution expects at least three candidates to vie for that office. Ohanaeze shies away from the manipulation of state government in election of officers . It shunned the attempts of both Ebonyi and Imo States to impose candidates eight years ago by electing independent-minded officers

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Home » News » OHANAEZE LEADERSHIP: Uwazurike, Asoluka fault Obiozor’s emergence as consensus candidate
OHANAEZE LEADERSHIP: Uwazurike, Asoluka fault Obiozor’s emergence as consensus candidate
ON NOVEMBER 25, 20206:43 AMIN NEWS
…Say it’s illegal, we remain in the race
…Nwaorgu keeps mute
…Why I want to lead Ndigbo —Obiozor
By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor
LEADING aspirants for the President-General of apex Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, picked holes in the emergence of Professor George Obiozor as the consensus candidate for the position.

Professor Obiozor, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States was on Monday presented as a consensus flag bearer by Imo State Leaders of Thought led by Elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu at an event held at the Government House, Owerri.

Three of the aspirants – former presidents of Igbo Think-Tank group Aka-Ikenga, Chiefs Chris Asoluka and Goddy Uwazurike; and former Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu spoke on the issue yesterday with Uwazurike and Asoluka describing Obiozor’s mode of emergence as consensus flag-bearer as illegal and unknown to Ohanaeze Constitution.

Asked his take on the development, Nwaorgu, who has been in the Ohanaeze leadership hierarchy for close to 20 years said he was still studying the situation. ”Sorry, I am not yet ready for comments on the issue,” he said in terse reply to a text message.

Owerri jamboree unknown to Ohanaeze constitution —Uwazurike

However, Uwazurike said the process of electing Ohanaeze leaders has no room for interlopers, and scuttles attempts to impose candidates, adding that the presentation of Obiozor as consensus candidate was a mere jamboree.

His words: ”Adoption of a consensus candidate for an office in Ohanaeze by a group of people is alien to the constitution. Ohanaeze only requires a candidate to purchase a form and contest for the post assigned to his state. In other words, I can go and gather 1,000 people and declare that Mr A is now a consensus candidate. Such an action goes to no issue except to massage the ego of Mr A . ”The Ime-obi is yet to sit to appoint an electoral committee. No electoral guidelines have been issued. So, what happened in Owerri is just a jamboree . Nobody can stop a candidate from election. This is because the Ohanaeze constitution expects at least three candidates to vie for that office. Ohanaeze shies away from the manipulation of state government in election of officers . It shunned the attempts of both Ebonyi and Imo States to impose candidates eight years ago by electing independent-minded officers.

”It is only after the screening of aspirants by the election committee that candidates can emerge for election for the office of the President General according to Article 11(b) of the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which stipulates that, ”the President General shall be elected by the National General Assembly.”

Asked if he is still in the race, he said: ”Of course I am in the race! I dey kampe! I cannot be deterred by a group of people playing out a script. Elechi of Ebonyi and Rochas of Imo State tried it and failed. Ohanaeze has its own process of election. Definitely, presenting a person to a governor is not there.


”Presently, we are all aspirants. Ime-obi will soon meet to appoint Electoral committee members. The electoral committee will present the guidelines to Imeobi for approval. Thereafter, aspirants will buy the forms and submit themselves for screening. If they are successful, they will become candidates. The voting for the next President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World wide will be done on the floor of the general assembly. The process has no room for any interloper.’

They’re jumping the gun —Asoluka

On his part, Asoluka, former vice president general (Imo) of Ohanaeze, co-chairman of South East/South-South Professionals, SESSP, and chairman/member, Ohanaeze Election Committee for 2012 and 2016 elections consecutively, said that as of now, there are no candidates yet until an election committee and the guidelines have been approved by Ime-obi.

On the presentation of Obiozor as consensus candidate by Imo Leaders of Thought, he said any group of individuals is free to endorse anyone but that it is only “their preference, which neither binds the election committee nor determines who is eligible to contest the forthcoming elections.” He argued that it is premature for anyone to speak on who and who are candidates for an election which guidelines are yet to be unveiled, adding that until the close of return of forms whenever it opens and closes, no one can be said to be running as a candidate. It is only after the screening committee of aspirants by election committee that candidates can emerge.”

On mode of election for the Office of the President General, Asoluka cited Article 11(b) of the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which stipulates that, “The President General shall be elected by the National General Assembly from all interested candidates from the state which turn it is to fill the office, provided there are at least three candidates”

The Ime-obi (Inner Caucus) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will roll out guidelines for electing Nwodo’s successor next week after an enlarged meeting in Enugu.



Chief Nwodo’s tenure will end on January 9, 2021. By rotational Principle of Ohanaeze, the next president-general will come from Imo, a reason a host of Imo leaders are now in the race.

Those eyeing the Ohanaeze prime seat include Professor George Obiozor; Chiefs Chris Asoluka and Goddy Uwazurike; Dr. Joe Nwaorgu; former Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim; former Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Prof. Ukachukwu Aloysius Awuzie; Professor of Law, and former Dean, Faculty of Law, Imo State University, Dr. Nnaemeka Onyeka Obiaraeri among others.


Why I want to lead Ndigbo —Obiozor

Meanwhile, Professor Obiozor has thanked Imo State Ohanaeze Ndigbo, elders and stakeholders for adopting and presenting him as a consensus candidate, and vowed to offer selfless service to the Igbo because he sees it as ”a challenge that I must confront triumphantly with honour and dignity, and a sense of responsibility that history beckons on my humble self to shoulder, for the benefit of Ndigbo, humanity and to the glory of God.

May I equally humbly confess that my decision to contest for the office of president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World Wide was a decision not based on self-aggrandizement, personal ambition or self-promotion. By my age and career history, I have long out grown all that. Instead, my most compelling necessity was service, a timely and crucial service at one of the most critical times in Nigerian history with dire consequences, particularly for Ndigbo as a national entity. Indeed, not only has governance become both difficult and complex in Nigeria, but down right an existential threat to Ndigbo in particular.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/11/ohanaeze-leadership-uwazurike-asoluka-fault-obiozors-emergence-as-consensus-candidate/

Igbo people

Kestolove:
Igbo people

Face Yorubaland.
Unity beggars everywhere

Ohanaeze has since lost credibility. they are bunch of old men fighting for their pockets. no sane Igbo man takes them serious