Jonathan’s planned adoption as Igbo candidate divides Ohanaeze

A motion to adopt President Goodluck Jonathan as the consensus candidate of the Igbo for the 2015 presidential election failed at the Ime-Obi (inner caucus) meeting of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Saturday in Enugu.

The adoption of Jonathan as the consensus candidate of the Igbo was not on the agenda of the meeting, which held at the apex Igbo socio-political organisation’s secretariat in Enugu.

But midway into the meeting, a Peoples Democratic Party chief, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, moved the motion, urging Ohanaeze to adopt Jonathan for the election.

Iwuanyanwu informed the Ime-Obi that he came with a message from ’90 per cent of Igbo, who were supporting Jonathan’s election for a second term.

He asked the meeting to give him an answer so that he could report back to those who sent him.

The motion caused an uproar, forcing the President General, Chief Gary Igariwey, to adjourn the meeting, which ended abruptly with a shouting match between those against and those in support of the failed motion to adopt Jonathan as the consensus candidate.

Following the failure of the motion, Iwuanyanwu walked out of the meeting and drove away from the venue.

Earlier, some members of the Ime-Obi had kicked against an attempt to extend the tenure of the organisation’s national executive committee to four years from the statutory two years tenure in office.

A representative of Ndigbo in the Diaspora, Mr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, had told the meeting that the constitution was amended under the previous administration, extending the tenure to four years.

Anakwenze alleged that those who were challenging the tenure of the executive were hired to cause trouble in Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The comment apparently irked a former national chairman of the defunct Justice Party, Chief Ralph Obiorah, who immediately walked out of the meeting.
In an encounter with journalists, Obioha maintained that the tenure of the executive had long elapsed, saying those supporting the tenure elongation were persons, who masqueraded under Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the Diaspora’s umbrella, to collect N4m from the N20m released to Ohanaeze Ndigo by Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State.

He noted that it was obvious that some people came to the meeting with a predetermined agenda.

A communiqué released after the meeting however stated that the tenure of the executive was four years.

The communiqué also explained that the motion for the adoption of a presidential candidate was kept in abeyance, until further notice, as the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was still consulting.

The communiqué reads, “The amendment of the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo during the Ime-Obi meetings of August 14, 2010 and October 30, 2010 as well as during the General Assembly meeting of November 6, 2010 as shown in the video tape today is hereby ratified by the Ime-Obi meeting today January 3, 2015, hence the tenure of the office of National and State officers of Ohanaeze Ndigbo remains four years.

“A committee will be set up by the NEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the issue of reconciliation of all aggrieved parties in Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“The said committee shall equally look into the issues of multiple litigation plundering (confronting) Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“The amendment of tenure done to the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as ratified by the General Assembly meeting of November 6, 2010, be published and reflected in the constitution, which took effect from the said date; as a substitute to the constitution dated January 27, 2004, which has the same contents, and is currently in use after the amendment.

“The issue of adopting any presidential candidate in the forth-coming presidential election in Nigeria was raised, but kept in abeyance as the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is still consulting.”