Ohanaeze poll: Aspirants Reject Push For Obiozor

• Ohanaeze poll

Aspirants for Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General have rejected the choice of 78-year-old former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor, as the consensus candidate.

The tenure of Chief Nnia Nwodo ends on Sunday. His successor will be elected on January 21 in Owerri, Eko hot blog gathered.

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It is the turn of Imo state to produce the President-General which is rotational among the member-states.

The election is already being threatened by the emergence of a parallel electoral committee.

The Nwodo-led executive set up the Chief Enwo Igariwey-led 40-man electoral committee, which was endorsed by the Ime-Obi (the decision-making organ).

But another committee headed by Dr Richard Ozobu was inaugurated on December 31 at a meeting called by the suspended Secretary-General, Uche Okwukwu.

The six aspirants in the race are Prof Obiozor, Ukachukwu Awuzie, Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, Chief Chris Asoluka and Chief Goddy Uwazurike.

Imo elders, led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, announced Prof. Obiozor, a scholar and veteran diplomat, as Imo “consensus candidate” to succeed Nwodo.

Governor Hope Uzodimma has accepted Obiozor’s endorsement by the elders.

But the other aspirants rejected the nomination because the Ohanaeze Constitution does not recognise “consensus candidacy.”

Dr Nwaorgu, a former Ohaneze Secretary-General, said the Constitution mandates that three candidates stand for election.

Asoluka said the Imo elders can select whoever they want but their choice “neither binds the election committee nor determines who is eligible to contest the forthcoming elections.”

He quoted Article 11 (b) of the Constitution which reads: “The President-General shall be elected by the National General Assembly from all interested candidates from the state which turn it is to fill the office, provided there are at least three candidates.”

Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, said “Ohanaeze has not adopted anyone as its presidential candidate. The forms were just released last Friday and no one has bought them.

The electoral committee has started working.