An investigation into allegations that the Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo Youth Wing Worldwide visited former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election—and pledged support for his 2027 presidency has been launched. The group has since denied the allegations.
The group said in a press statement released by Damian Okafor, the organization’s national youth head, that the supposed visitation was staged by a small group of people posing as national leaders and not the youth wing.
He clarified that the group is completely unrelated to politics and does not operate in a political capacity, as its name suggests.
According to Okafor, the group’s primary goal is to fight for the complete liberation of the Ndigbo people in the area.
The supreme Igbo youth sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing Worldwide, has preserved the Ndigbo culture in accordance with the rules of operation outlined in the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Constitution.
We will not be hopping from politician to politician in the hopes of receiving a favor or some kind gesture because we are non-partisan. “We don’t go where they didn’t go, nor do we do what they didn’t do,” he said, expressing the profound reverence for our elders.
The southeast region has not had a presidential candidate run for office since 1999, according to Okafor, and the group will never back someone from the north because the north has already held the office for eight years.
He said Atiku was to fault for falling for the scams perpetrated by the people he branded as impostors and who had been fired from the organization for alleged criminal ties.
No one of Atiku Abubakar’s stature should be so clinging to power that they would entertain impostors posing as representatives of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing Worldwide.
The Ndigbo people are longing for their turn at the presidency, and southern Nigeria hasn’t even done its turn yet; he should have asked himself why an apolitical group was promising him the esteemed office of Nigerian president.
“He should have also reached out to Amb. Okey Emuchay, the current leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, to clear him of any questions he may have about the organization,” he said in the statement.
According to the national youth leader, the individuals who paid the former vice president a visit were kicked out of the group for smearing its reputation and taking advantage of the trusting public.
We are pleading with the Director of the DSS to have their Enugu command address the allegations that have been brought to their attention. It is imperative that the Inspector General of Police and other sister security agencies take action in response to the complaints lodged with them in Enugu State.
In order to rescue Alaigbo, the Southeast governors led by Hope Uzodinma should also address the grievances that have been brought to their attention. He went on to say that if these criminals are treated with kid gloves, it will lead to the rise of another group of non-state actors who will demand ransom from Alaigbo.
The press statement from Okafor restates the organization’s commitment to its founding principles and warns the public to be wary of imposters posing as national leaders of the social cultural organization.