Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex socio-cultural organization of the Igbo people, has completely dismissed media reports about the election of Mr. Livinus Obasi as its National Youth Leader.
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Alex Ogbonnia made the denial in an interaction with newsmen in Owerri on Monday.
Ogbonnia said that although the Organisation’s Youth Leader, Mr. Damian Okafor was suspended, adding that the National Executive Council (NEC), led by its President-General, Prof. George Obiozor has been working hard to settle the issues that led to his suspension.
Ogbonnia, a former chairman of the Organisation in Enugu, called on the general public not to be misguided by what he described as “deceitful media reports of a purported bye-election to replace the suspended Youth Leader describing it as the handiwork of mischief makers.
” It is true that Okafor was suspended but the NEC is working assiduously to resolve the issues and when we do, the public will be duly informed,” he said.
According to him, the NEC is not aware of any bye-election to replace Okafor insisting that the said election not only lacks credibility but was also not known to them nor was it approved nor supervised by them.
The publicity secretary said that the organization totally refuse to recognize Obasi as a youth leader.
Adding his voice, the Secretary of Ohanaeze Youth Wing in Rivers State, Mr. Chika Onuoha also denied being part of the election and advised the Organisation’s youths to desist from acts capable of causing disunity among its members.
He restated his support for the Obiozor – led NEC adding that anything to the contrary would amount to insubordination and unruly behavior.
“Those of us in Rivers will not work against the NEC because, in Prof. Obiozor, we have a leader of high repute,” he said.
He maintained that they were not part of the said election that produced Obasi assuring that they will exhaust all legal channels even as they vehemently oppose his being paraded as National Youth Leader.
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