THE apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned the Indigenous People of Biafra to stop distracting it.

It said the Ohanaeze had a focus of producing a president of Igbo extraction in 2023 and not secession.

It maintained that IPOB would not be allowed to lead the Igbo at a time like this in Nigeria.

The National Vice-President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Awka, Anambra State.

Describing the Igbo project of producing a president of Nigeria from the South-East geopolitical zone as a serious business, Okeke-Ogene asked IPOB to key into Ohanaeze plan instead of being antagonistic to the leadership of the socio-cultural organisation.

IPOB had in the attack vowed not to recognise Obiozor as leader of Ndigbo, describing him as “a Fulani stooge”.

The proscribed group had said, “This is because Obiozor was imposed on the Igbo socio-cultural body by the Fulani cabal running the failed state of Nigeria.

“The Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari and Miyetti Allah were instrumental to the emergence of Obiozor as Ohaneze National President according to our findings.”

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But the National VP of Ohanaeze described IPOB’s tantrum as a “distraction and the ranting of children”.

He said, “This is not the time for distraction.IPOB is entitled to their opinion, but we won’t allow certain opinions to distract us from our focus. We have a purpose we want to achieve.

“Our mandate is to produce a president of Nigeria of Igbo extraction in 2023. We can’t realise that by excluding the Igbo from the rest of Nigeria.”

MASSOB knocks Ohanaeze leadership over 2023 presidency

In a related development, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra says the current leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has no agenda for the people of the South-East.

MASSOB also criticised the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, for calling on some politicians of Igbo extraction to get set for Nigeria’s presidency in 2023.

The National Director of Information of the movement, Mr. Sunday Okereafor, told newsmen in a telephone that Obiozor was aware that it was impossible for an Igbo man to be the president of Nigeria.

Okereafor said it was surprising that rather than support the struggle for Biafra, the leadership of Ohanaeze was angling for an elusive Igbo presidency.

“We, MASSOB, are now telling the new Ohaneze Ndigbo President, Prof. Obiozor, that on Biafra we stand. We were thinking he has an agenda for the Igbo, but he has no agenda,” he added.