Kinsmen of the first President of Nigeria, late Nnamdi Azikiwe, have demanded an apology from the Ohanaeze Ndigbo for what they called a “ridiculous act against the sage.”
Their spokesperson, Melville Ebo, made their position known at a press conference in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Monday.
The Ohanaeze had recently endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Peter Obi.
But Ebo described members of Ohanaeze who met and endorsed Atiku as members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He accused the group’s President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, of using the opportunity to settle an old score with President Muhammadu Buhari who he alleged chose the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo as his running mate in 2003 instead of Nwodo.
Ebo said, “We also want them to tender an unreserved apology to Governor Willie Obiano for the attack on him on this issue because an attack on the governor is an attack on us and the people of this state.
“Ohaneze cannot railroad Ndigbo the way it did in 2015.
“We can’t understand how those who call themselves friends of Igbo should refuse to accord the great Zik a peaceful rest by trying to ‘rubbish’ the day set aside by the Federal Government to honour him.”
“For this singular act, the people of Onitsha will never be happy with this group (Ohanaeze)until they tender an apology to us and the Anambra State Governor on this issue.”