Following disagreements over alleged manipulations ahead 2015 presidential elections, the new leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is facing stiff opposition threatening the organisation’s very existence, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu
Three months after its election, the new leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been unable to take off effectively following dogged opposition from many of the seven member states.
It’s election in Enugu, on January 12, 2013, was marred by allegations of manipulation followed by rejection and protests. While some critics of the election accused the Ambassador Ralph Uwechue-led former executive of manipulating the system to favour some associates who would allegedly work for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition, others accused the former executive of tampering with the timetable approved by the organisation’s highest decision-making body, Ime Obi, in order to disenfranchise some stakeholders and enthrone their cronies from the backyard.
In spite of the controversy, the Chief Gary Igaraiwe- led new executive was inaugurated, even as angered stakeholders swore to hold separate elections, dismissing the January 12 election as fraudulent and illegal.
This sharp disagreement created fears that except something was done immediately, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, may soon split into factions.
So, hopes were raised when several elders of Ndigbo, who responded to the confusion promised to step in to resolve the crisis immediately.
The controversy
The disagreement began shortly before the controversial January 12, 2013 election in Enugu. Dissatisfied members of the organisation, warning against the election, had dragged the matter to court, receiving a court injunction restraining the Uwechue-led out-going executive from conducting the election that day.
So, on the election day, Emma Okocha, one of the contestants for the position of National Publicity Secretary, told The Nation in a telephone chat that the election was in bad faith and cannot stand. He confirmed allegation from other critics that the process was manipulated by the out-going leadership and the PDP top hierarchy as a way of ensuring that the new leadership that would emerge will work for the party in 2015 presidential election.
According to him, that is why the PDP took over the election, flooding the venue “with policemen armed to the teeth.”
Citing the court injunction restraining Ambassador Ralph Uwechue from holding such election, critics of the new executive are contending that the election was “illegal, ab initio,” and should therefore be discountenanced.
Another issue under contention is the position of Ime Obi, the highest organ of Ohanaeze, vis-a-vis the action of the former executive. Ime Obi, according to reports, had scheduled the election for 17th January and this information had been communicated to all the state executives, elders and traditional councils.
So, most of them felt hurt and betrayed when they learnt that the election held on 12th. But when The Nation called Uwechue’s number on January 12, as the election was ongoing, to confront him with that allegation, an aide, who refused to give his name, said the former Ohanaeze President General was still at the centre of the election. He, however, denied that Ime Obi slated the election for 17th, alleging that it was slated for between 12th and 17th.
Many elders in Igbo land are still contesting this claim. Although the office of President-General, which was zoned to Ebonyi State actually went to the state, Ebonyi is one of the most aggrieved states over the outcome of the election.
“The point,” according to Mazi Ukandu Ude, an elder from Ebonyi State, “is that Ime Obi had earlier put the election date for January 17. We, therefore, felt cheated when, without notice, Uwechue’s executive suddenly rescheduled it for the 12th. Some of the contestants were in the dark when the alleged election held. This is strange and unacceptable to us because Ime Obi’s decision, according to our constitution, cannot be altered at will by an obviously interested out-going executive. Election of a new executive for Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a very crucial matter and the entire Igbo race cannot be taken for a ride by few politicians,” he said.
To formalise the grouse of Ebonyi State over the way the election was held, the Ebonyi State Government alleged that the secretary of the national election committee of Ohanaeze, Chief Richard Ozobu, sent a wrong date to the state as against January 12 when the election took place.
An official of the state government, who craved anonymity, told The Nation that it was all the handiwork of top Ebonyi State federal government officials working for President Jonathan, both to cheat and to score a political point against the people and the state chief executive.
He argued that the election committee deliberately sent the wrong date to make way for some contestants and deny others.
The crisis peaked when a parallel election was fixed for Ebonyi State on January 19, 2013, leading to fears that the fate of the socio-cultural organisation was indeed under serious threat. It turned out, however, that the planned counter election by dissatisfied Ebonyi leaders and other stakeholders could not hold following a last minute action to save Ohanaeze. The Ohanaeze National Electoral Committee, encouraged by a few concerned elders, who were alarmed that the situation was getting out of hand, had hurried and obtained an interim court order to stop the planned second election.
In search of peace
Although the interim court order, which stopped the second election provided some form of temporary relief, it was, as a member of Ohanaeze Ime Obi said offhandedly in a private meeting, that the relief cannot last long enough.
To save the situation, members of Ime Obi held several emergency meetings with leaders, including state governors, to find a lasting solution to the problem.
By January 20, 2013, when the governors of the South-East states and respected representatives from Delta and Rivers States resolved to intervene to save Ohanaeze, an 11-man committee, headed by Senator Ben Ndi Obi, was set up.
The committee was urged to look into the problems of the organisation and make recommendations. We gathered that at inauguration, the committee was given February 10, 2013, to conclude its findings.
It was also said that the new executive was advised to stand down all executive activities until the issues are resolved. “This advise has not helped anybody as the organisation has remained grounded since then. We have neither heard from the committee nor the governors. We are only caged in this suffocating waiting game,” a member of the new executive said.
Although Senator Obi, was last week quoted in the media as saying his committee has finished its investigation since, insiders told The Nation during the week that personal interests and 2015 political schemings have made it difficult for the South-East governors to agree on the fate of the Ohanaeze executive elected on January 12.
“During the last meeting of the governors on this matter, Governor Obi was adamant that the new Ohanaeze executive must be left alone and allowed to lead Ndigbo. His position was, however, not quite popular and this led to a form of stalemate,” said a source.
The source, a top aide of one of the South-East governors, explained that it is the need to avoid a repeat of this stalemate, the governors have deliberately postponed their meeting with the election committee. They have not forgotten the problem in Ohanaeze. My boss confided that they are meeting with and discussing with all stakeholders in an effort to resolve the matter once and for all,” the source said.
Besides the governors, The Nation learnt that Ohanaeze elders council, led by Justice Eze Ozobo and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu have been meeting with stakeholders. An associate of one of them confide, however, that one of their recent meetings in Enugu ended in a stalemate.
As the behind-the-scene discussions continue, concerned observers are expressing fear that Ohanaeze’s fate may indeed be in a mortal danger.
This is so because, today, three months after the controversial election of the new executive, the gulf seems to have widened as the leadership still seems unable to garner enough support in order to take off more effectively.
Elder Ude summed up the fears when he lamented thus during the week: “Instead of the much-needed consolidation to defend the interest of Ndigbo, all we hear today in Ohanaeze is continuous disagreements within the elders, stories of manipulation from the Presidency, distrust among South-East governors and such like. When are we going to wake up as a people?
