Chief Omenazu Jackson is the Chairman, Elders’ Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and BOT member. In this interview with our Editor-In-Chief Jude Owuamanam, he says that the Rivers State chapter of Ohanaeze disagrees with George Obiozor’s election because he emerged through a fraudulent process.
Excerpts
Why are you disagreeing with today’s election in Ohanaeze?
I invited you to tell you about the happenings in Ohanaeze. By the principles setting up Ohanaeze, it is supposed to be the umbrella body sheltering the entire Igbo nation. And when such a body, begins to drift from the principles and ordinances why it was established, it becomes an aberration. Under Nnia Nwodo, to be honest, Ohanaeze has experienced draconian decisions. Under Nwodo, Ohanaeze has been treated as Nwodo’s dynasty and some of us have kicked against it not only today, but from inception. His conduct and approach to things that concern Igbo land does not seem to agree with some of us. Look at what is happening today.
As at yesterday, another group has finished conducting their own election and leaders in that group have emerged. For the first time, we are seeing such a parallel Ohanaeze because of the approach of Nnia Nwodo to what I call Igbo governance. Today, the charade that is going on in Owerri does not seem to be within the realms and aspirations of Ndigbo. I can authoritatively say without fear or favour that it is the gathering of never-do wells. We have our culture and we have our history, the Igbo know who their friends are irrespective of those who emerged through electoral brigandage and assumed the position of leaders, we still know who our true leaders are. So what is going on today, like I say is what I will liken to criminal boldness.
By the criminal boldness, who exactly are you referring to?
I am referring to Nnia Nwodo and his outgoing executives.
What you are saying is that is you are not at home with the election or that Nwodo and his executives violated the principles of Ohanaeze Ndigbo?
He has violated all known laws and ordinances of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. For instance as a leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Rivers State, an electoral committee was sent to Rivers State, I was not aware and many other stakeholders were not aware and I have been leading Ohanaeze in Rivers State.
Did you protest?
I don’t need to do that because Nnia Nwodo knows me as a person. I led several leaders to Enugu to meet with him. He knows me by name and I called him and asked him what you were doing in Rivers State, who are the people coming to Rivers State and he said I should hold on. All I heard was that Rivers State executive has been elected. There were no forms from where the local government delegates would emerge, there were no forms from where the state executives would emerge; there was no publicity of any type. The leaders of Ndigbo in Rivers State were not aware. We’ve several organizations in Rivers State that formed Ohanaeze Ndigbo and all we heard was that there was a miniature election in GRA Port Harcourt and somebody had emerged. And I called the boy. Fortunately i know him. I asked him what exactly was going on.
I was with you on the 31st December, you came to my house and we sat down and discussed over a bottle of beer, how come you emerged unceremoniously without anybody knowing. He said Oga leave that matter. I asked him how he could emerge through this fraudulent way even though you were close to me, I dropped my phone. I knew that this election was holding and I came with some prominent Rivers sons so that I can have an alibi to prove that this criminality took place. The truth remains that this is the most critical moment for Igbo people.
In our history, we are asking and demanding that Igbo people be given the presidency of this country because it is our right. We are not begging for it. But at the same time, this is the moment we are supposed to put our house in order. We cannot go and ask Nigerians to give us their support when we are going with a divided house. I was at the election, and one of the contentions was that they opted for Option A4 instead of secret balloting. And there was also the contention that why they opted for Option A4 was to make sure that those they bribed voted for them. And people demanded for a secret balloting so that people can vote their conscience.
Now which one are you contesting for? Is it the Option A4, secret balloting or that you disagree entirely with the process?
I am disagreeing entirely with the process because the manner in which the entire leadership emerged was fraudulent. The process under which the entire leadership emerged, I wish to emphasize is utterly fraudulent and criminal.
So what are you calling for now?
I am calling on the total scrapping of the charade going on here. The real Igbo leaders, including the clergy should come together and form and Interim management committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Let there be proper election where all the contenders will come together and say this is our leader. Until we go with a leader that will have our total loyalty, we cannot achieve the Igbo presidency.
If they don’t, what will you do? Will you go to court?
Of course yes. I will set up a parallel Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Rivers State and I will go to court and I will have nothing to do with any leadership that emerged today. I am an Igbo son. I am an Ikwerre son. I have Igbo blood running in my veins. And as such no man born of woman can drag Igbo man by the nose. It is not done anywhere. So the authentic Igbo leaders we know them, not these people gathering here.
I have said it before and I can say it anywhere that what we have here is product of crass electoral brigandage assuming themselves as Igbo leaders, which is not acceptable to me. I am civil rights crusader and I know when there is a true election and when there is a charade of an election. So these people do not have the credibility to speak for Igbo people and the leadership that emerged today has zero credibility to represent Igbo nation; to lead us into a war, which we believe we will win because as long as I am concerned, if other Nigerians concede the presidency to Ndigbo, we are to your tent Oh Israel if we are not united.
