The controversy caused by the endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, by the Igbo highest decision-making body, Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, took another dimension on Thursday as the National Executive Committee suspended the Secretary-General, Uche Okwukwu, for anti-organisation.
He was suspended by the Ohanaeze NEC over alleged alignment with the All Progressives Congress to factionalise the body.
But this did not go down well with Okwukwu who immediately after his suspension was said to have made some calls and in less than five minutes over 30 policemen with five Hilux vans stormed the meeting holding at the national secretariat, GRA Enugu to disperse the meeting.
It was gathered that allegations levelled against Okwukwu included “that he organised a press conference in Nnewi, Anambra State to contravene the position of Ohanaeze on the endorsement of Atiku when he was part of the endorsement; making some spurious allegations against the leadership of the body, going to Aba, Abia State to endorse President Buhari in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and joining the APC leadership to factionalise the Igbo apex body.”
Ohanaeze stated that the action of Chief Okwukwu smacks of betrayal of his people, noting that he was actually in the meeting at the Nike Lake Resort, where the debate on the endorsement took place and he did not raise objection, only for him to go and align with desperate politicians in the APC who had vowed to mortgage the future of the Igbo nation for their personal gains.
Reacting, Okwukwu dismissed his suspension, saying it was mere political rascality which could be obtained only in students’ union politics.