The three persons from Rivers State contesting for Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General election have unanimously called on former Inspector General of Police, Chief Mike Okiro, to drop his ambition.
The aspirants, Omenazu Jackson, Fyneface Amechi and Dim Uchechukwu Okwukwu, who jointly addressed the press on issues bordering on integrity of Ohanaeze and candidature of Okiro, in Port Harcourt yesterday, insisted that Okiro is a native of Obiakpu Community in Imo State and, therefore, should step aside for the contest of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General seat zoned to Rivers State.
They frowned at what they described as an attempt to shortchange them by a “non-Rivers man.”
According to them, Okiro, who had earlier received an endorsement from the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Rivers State, Chief Lucky Ekeji, for his eligibility, is “on a mission to cause crisis by attempting to take what belongs to Rivers people back to Imo State which just concluded her tenure.
“Chief Mike Okiro is from Ogwumankwu village, Obiakpu community, Egbema, Ohaji/Egbema LGA, Imo State. His age grade is Otu Egobueze and their secretary is Christopher Nze Umezuruike. Other members of his age grade are Chief Clement Mmata, Mr. Owuamala Stephen and Chief Toke Gilbert.
“His late younger brother, Eze Ozoemela Okiro, was the traditional ruler of Obiakpu community Egbema, Imo State and was a member of the traditional council under Governor Udenwa; that Chief Okiro was the special adviser to former Governor Rochas Okorocha on Security Matters.”
The aspirants questioned how Okiro’s biological parents and brothers would be from Imo State while he would be a Rivers man as he claimed. They further stated that the former IGP needs to explain how the miracle of his nativity happened.
They called on Ohanaeze Ndigbo to preserve its integrity and prestige, so as to avoid any reputational damage.
The three aspirants also urged the group not to allow the former IGP to contest, insisting that the slot was zoned to Rivers and not Imo State.
They, therefore, vowed to resist any attempt to shortchange them for a non-Rivers man in disguise as in his days in the Nigerian Police Force. “We will not allow that to repeat itself,” they vowed.
Ahead the election of new national leadership for the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation on Friday in Enugu, the 2025 Electoral Committee, has disclosed that election of leadership at local and state levels will be conducted across the seven Igbo speaking states today and tomorrow.
Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Chief Ejiofor Onyia, who made the disclosure explained that delegates elected from the two levels will join the members of the Ime-Obi, who are statutory delegates, to election about 17 National Executive Committee members of Ohanaeze on January 10.
Onyia pleaded with Ndigbo to present quality, reliable and track record candidates that would enjoy the confidence and support of Ndigbo and also capable of steering the ship of Igbo leadership.
He spoke when the electoral committee members addressed newsmen in Enugu on the preparedness of the committee to conduct transparent elections for the positions of the Ohanaeze NEC and its arms at the states and local government areas.
Onyia also disclosed that nomination forms have been distributed to the seven Ohanaeze states, adding that he was equally aware that some aspirants have picked forms and were undergoing screening with the screening committee.
He noted that the election is by Option A-4 where delegates would queue behind candidates and be counted while candidates with the highest number would emerge.
He dismissed a document that purportedly fixed the amount for the nomination forms for the office of president general at N1 million, stating that the nomination fee is far below that amount, while nomination forms for the local and state elections range from N20,000 and N100,000.
“A lot of people have picked forms for the position of President General from Rivers State. As at last count for the one I know, at least two people have picked forms. It may be up to three or five now. I don’t know. So, people are showing interest.
“What we’re asking every Igbo man to do at this time is to present to us quality candidates, men and women who have the interest of Igboland at heart. We need people who are ready to sacrifice to see that Ohanaeze becomes what it should be – the representative of the Igbo man in all spheres of life,” Onyia said.
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