The executive committee of apex –Igbo socio –cultural body,Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has vowed to resist any attempt by anybody or group to truncate its four year tenure.
It said the leadership would neither step down nor constitute any committee for the conduct of a fresh election into the executive of the organization in January as recently directed by its Council of Elders.
The organisation, maintained that the leadership which came on board two years ago was constitutionally empowered for a four-year tenure and not two as, claimed by its Elders Council.
Addressing newsmen in Enugu, Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nworgu, said it was unfortunate that the Elders Council could meet at this time to engage in such a divisive issue.
According to the Ohaneze scribe, the group had no locus standi to ask the incumbent executive to conduct fresh election when its tenure was not due, saying “We will not step aside for anybody.
“These people did not elect us. This executive was constituted following a proper election .
“They have no locus standi to say, we should step aside, there should be a procedure. The person who summoned the meeting is not chairman, Ohanaeze Council of Elders, and so has no locus to call such a meeting.
The Ohaneze secretary, stated that the constitutional amendment carried out in line with Article 29 during the administration of former president general, late Amb. Uwaechue, took effect in 2010, adding that the incumbent leadership only inherited the constitution.
Dr. Nworgu further stated that though the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo provided for Council of elders, such group had not been constituted for now, stressing that when empowered, the council would be chaired by the President General of Ohanaeze.
He said it was sad that certain elders who should preach peace and unity could congregate to fan embers of disunity in Igboland by pushing for fresh elections into the executive of the organization.
Our Correspondent reports that a group, under the platform of Ohanaeze Council of Elders, led by first Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, had last week met in Enugu and constituted a 12 –man electoral committee to conduct a fresh election for the organization in January.
The Council had explained that it decided to set up the committee following the refusal of the Chief Gary Igariwey’s led Ohaneze executive to roll out a transition programme, ahead of the expiration of its two year tenure by January 7, 2015.
It accused the Igariwey’s leadership of trying to embrace the “sit tight” in office syndrome, which he said, must be resisted by the Council.
The Council vowed to constitute a caretaker-committee to pilot the affairs of the Igbo umbrella body, from January 7, if fresh election was conducted before then.
