From CHIDI NNADI, Enugu
With the caliber of the Igbo leaders who attended the January 12 Ohanaeze Ndigbo national election in Enugu, many believed that Ndigbo had spoken in one voice in the election of new executives for the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
The January 12 election was a roll call of who is who in Igbo land; from former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof Joe Irukwu; former Anambra Governor, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Senator Uche Chukwumerije; Chairman of the South-east council of traditional rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya;
Rear Admiral Allison Madueke; former Health Minister, Prof A.B.C. Nwosu; Elder Bob Ogbuagu; former Ohanaeze President-General, Eze Ozobu; former Secretary General, Joe Achuzie; Prof Anya O. Anya; Leader of the MASSOB, Ralph Uwazurike; Amb. Eddy Onuoha, among others. But no sooner than the newly elected officers were inaugurated by Justice Ozobu as former president general than his nephew, Prince Richard Ozobu, who served as the secretary to the electoral committee called the January 12 a sham, saying he was going ahead with a fresh election scheduled to hold tomorrow in Ebonyi State.
Richard Ozobu is being followed by some aggrieved members of Ohanaeze like Chief Emma Okocha from Delta State who claimed they were not given nomination forms in his state. But a member of the electoral committee who served with Richard Ozobu told Daily Sun that the national election has been concluded with Chief Gary Nachi Igariwey from Ebonyi State emerging President General and Dr Joe Nworgu from Imo State, beating five other contestants from the state to emerge as secretary general.
Nze Nkama also revealed that out of the 16-member Ohanaeze electoral committee that conducted the January 12 election, only Richard Ozobu declined to participate. Also Chief N. A. Anakwenze, chairman of the Igbo World Assembly who led the Diaspora people to participate in the January 12 election said it was free and fair. But Daily Sun gathered that a fresh election is scheduled to hold tomorrow in Ebonyi State which is likely to produce Amb Aja Nwachukwu or Emmanuel Agboti as parallel president general to Igariwey as confirmed by Richard Ozobu.
Daily Sun brings you excerpts from interviews with the election committee members, the new secretary general, the leader of the Diaspora and Okocha on how the Ohanaeze got to this cross-roads: