A faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chidi Ibeh has said members of the Igbo apex social cultural group will attend the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Monday, May 29, 2023, at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
The group claimed that it has the backing of three Igbo governors to attend the occasion.
In a statement in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the Secretary General of the group, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Nyesom Wike of River State have expressed their support to Ohanaeze to attend the inauguration.
Isiguzoro said that Ndigbo are grateful to Umahi, Ikpeazu and Wike for their efforts at ensuring Igbo reposition themselves in the incoming Tinubu’s administration.
He said: “Ohanaeze is mobilising to attend the inauguration on Monday.
Ohanaeze believes that boycotting Tinubu’s inauguration would be of no strategic benefit to Ndigbo. Rather, it would lead to undue isolation zone, while giving the impression that Igbo are at war with him.
“Ohanaeze wishes the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, well in his pursuit of legal and constitutional rights over the 2023 presidential election.”
The factional Igbo group, however, urged Ndigbo to remain law abiding and avoid engaging the Tinubu-led Federal Government in confrontation. It noted that Ndigbo is mindful of the future and will never play politics of bitterness or malice against the incoming President.
Recall that another faction of the Igbo apex group had earlier said none of its members will attend the May 29 inauguration of Tinubu as Nigeria’s sixteenth president.
The statement which was released on May 16, 2023, by Ohanaeze’s national publicity secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia stated that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, did not issue any statement with respect to the inauguration of Tinubu as it does not wax eloquent on partisan politics, except when it becomes exceedingly necessary; and does not in any way begrudge or antagonize any Igbo for choice of political party, personal or group political ambition
By Temitope Hassan