2011: Igbos have not endorsed any candidate — Ohaneze Ndigbo

By Henry Umoru
ABUJA—AHEAD of the 2011 Presidential election, the umbrella body of the South East
geo-political zone, Ohaneze Ndigbo, said yesterday that as a body, it
had not endorsed any aspirant for the position.

Answering questions from journalists in Abuja yesterday, the new Chairman of Ohaneze
Ndigbo, Federal Capital Territory chapter, Barrister Nwabueze Calistus
Obi, who vowed that as a zone, it was prepared to fight for what was
just, stressed that they would confront any institution, individuals
that will stand as encumbrance to the fight of the Igbo within the
bounds of the law.

Also elected with him are Pastor Samuel Iloh, Prince I. H. Okwukwu and Emeka Wachukwu as Vice Chairmen, Val. Ogosi as
Deputy Chairman, Onwuka Arua as Secretary, Prince J.E. Ubani as
Publicity Secretary, among others.

He said Igbo people would at the most appropriate time come up with the
people of the zone after series of brainstorming exercises, adding that
the zone will allow for all the parties to come up with their
candidates, adding that after the primaries, the Igbos will now begin
to discuss and, thereafter, push the pendulum to the most favourable
place.

According to him, “a lot of people have been talking, some are bending towards Jonathan, some are bending towards other
contestants, they are doing that in their individual capacities. As a
nation, Igbo people have not endorsed any of the aspirants.

"Ohaneze national said in its last meeting in Enugu that the Igbo nation will at
the right time come out to tell Nigerians where they are. So, Ohaneze
FCT is in alignment with the views of the President General.

“The governors are not the Ohaneze, they are just the leaders of the various
states in the south East, they are not speaking for the entire Igbo
people. If you are abreast of what is going on, very recently, the
same governors came out to deny that the Igbos are behind any of the
aspirants, they said they never at any time said so.

They might, on their own, decide, but that does not foreclose the constitutional right
of any Igboman to aspire to be President. So like as I said, it is
individual expression, which has nothing to do with the thinking and
direction Igbo people are going to and at a very auspicious time, the
Igbos will tell you who their man is”