The Lagos State chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organization, has denied claims that it abandoned Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi and endorsed All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The chapter’s President, Sunday Ossai, said the misleading claim was meant to serve personal interest and not that of Ohanaeze in Lagos State.
Ossai who blamed his predecessor, Solomon Aguene, for peddling such claims, stressed that nobody other than himself was authorized to speak on behalf of the group.
In a statement he issued, Ossai noted that the claim that Ohanaeze in Lagos dumped Obi for Tinubu ahead of the 2023 elections, was from the pit of hell.
The statement read partly: “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to the news making the rounds with a caption ‘Ohanaeze Ndigbo dumps Peter Obi, declares support for Tinubu’.
“The purveyor of the above remarks is Chief Solomon Aguene, the immediate past president of Ohanaeze, Lagos State Chapter.
“Ohanaeze, therefore, informs the general public that the current president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State Chapter is Chief Sunday Ossai and only the Chapter President or an authorized officer of the current Lagos state executive has the right to speak on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State Chapter.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the misleading impression that ‘Ohanaeze dumps Obi’ is from the pit of hell and meant to serve private interest. Such a statement is hereby vehemently debunked.”
Recall that, Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar emerged presidential candidates recently, in their respective political parties.