Uche Ogah, Enyinnaya Abaribe deny statement rejecting Ohanaeze Ndigbo election

Two prominent Igbo personalities named in a statement that rejected the Ohanaeze Ndigbo national election that produced Professor George Obiozor as President General have distanced themselves from the statement.

Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who were listed among 36 personalities that had rejected the polls conducted by an Electoral Committee headed by Prof’ Gary Igariwe were shocked at the inclusion of their names in the list, stressing that they knew absolutely nothing about the statement, its origins, writers or motives.

Dr. Ogah, who said he was at the venue of the election and endorsed its outcome in totality, said emphatically, “I don’t know them,” stressing that the statement was the handiwork of faceless individuals out to make mischief.

He said he has already congratulated all the winners and has implicit confidence in the ability of Professor Obiozor to steer the ship of state of the Igbo nation.

Senator Abaribe, representing Abia-South Senatorial District of Abia State in the National Assembly, in his reaction to the statement said, also emphatically, that “I NEVER (emphasis his) issued any statement denouncing the Ohaneze election. Just like other people I saw a newspaper headline putting names of those against the Ohaneze election and including my name. I never spoke to any reporter and have been in the village. I only returned yesterday.”

The statement had claimed that the election, conducted at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, Imo State was “a farce and unacceptable to the Igbo Nation,” recommending, among others, that “the running of Ohanaeze Ndigbo be handed over to the South East Region of Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN) for two months period while efforts would be made for another election.”