Ohanaeze Crisis: Nwodo Remains Sacked, Says Youth Wing

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

The crisis rocking the leadership of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, deepened yesterday as the sacked President of the Youth Wing, Okechukwu Isiguzoro vowed to remain in office until next year.

He also dismissed last week’s election of Arthur Obiora as the new youth leader as a farce, noting that the embattled President General of the parent body, Chief Nnia Nwodo, had been removed from office and as such, lacked the authority to conduct any election for either the youth or women wings.

In a statement issued in Enugu and made available to journalists, Isiguzoro asked the South-east Governors Forum, National Assembly Caucus and Igbo leaders of thought to immediately intervene in the crisis before it got out of hands.
The statement which was signed by Isiguzoro as President, Ohanaeze Youth Wing, Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary General, Ohanaeze Youth Wing and Achuonye Obinna, Deputy President, Ohanaeze Youth Wing noted that until a unity elective convention was organised, the leadership of the youth wing would remain intact.

“We are surprised that a man sacked from office, for grossly abusing the office of the president-general, and avoided the panel set up by ime obi members, lacked the locus standing to conduct election of Ohanaeze youth wing, according to Ohanaeze constitution, its only the Youth wing that had the right to conduct her election, so former President General, Nwodo has shown desperation in putting up illegal structure to mortgage Ndigbo in 2019.

“We will resist Nwodo with the last drop of our blood, We call on Biafrans, South-east Governors, South East Caucus in National Assembly, and Igbo leaders of thought, to step forward and bring lasting solution to this armageddon… Nwodo is finished.

“While we may not be seen joining issues with the illegal factional OYW for not wanting to divide the ranks of the Igbo youths and nation. We must be forthright in submitting that the new Ohanaeze youth faction should always bear in mind the proverbial saying: “A slave that sees where his fellow slave is been committed to a shallow grave with hoe and celebrate should wait for same measure on his own day.”
Continuing, the statement noted that “differing more, we shall not be distracted more, but Igbo interest and pan social concerns shall always be paramount to us and we are not going to waste our time joining issues with anybody claiming to be new exco of OYE, but advise them to have a rethink on enslaving Igbo youths’ Ohanaeze Youth Wing to a power drunken leviathan laying siege on Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“We shall be more focused in our up-to-the-minute service to Igbo nation and youths, in particular. No shaking! We wish to inform Nigerians and Ndigbo that former President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nwodo lacked powers to bring any illegal structure on board,” the statement noted.

When contacted, the President General, Nwodo who spoke through his Media Adviser, Chief Emeka Atamah, dismissed the statement as a mere distraction that required no response.

Related Articles