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Consensus candidacy bad for Ohanaeze, says Alozie

A United States-based Nigerian public commentator, Chief Alozie Alozie has explained why a consensus candidate is bad for the Igbo sociocultural group, Ohanaeze ahead of its election this month. Alozie, who is also the Director General Atiku Campaign Stream, frowned at the recent moves to present a consensus candidate from Imo State to lead Ohanaeze Ndigbo nationwide describing it as undemocratic, null and void.

According to him, one of the tenets of democracy is the ability of the people to choose their leader and the ability of those who want to become leaders to convince the people about their ability to lead. He stressed said: “The recent news that members of Ohanaeze in Imo State had presented a consensus candidate to lead the rest of the Igbo nation is undemocratic and should be seen as unconstitutional.

“All candidates must be allowed to present their manifesto to the rest of the Igbo nation and let us decide who will lead us. I call on the electoral committee and the Imeobi to reject the idea of consensus and give every candidate a chance,” he said He contended that one of the major characteristics of sociocultural groups in Nigeria has been their neutrality in the polity and this is where it’s greatest strength lies.

“Ohanaeze has been a leading voice of calling out President Muhammadu Buhari for the injustice melted out to Igbos, why will the same Ohanaeze now wants to be a party to injustice,” he said.

“It is no news that the decision of the governor of Imo State to present Prof. George Obiozor as the consensus candidate from Imo State has an undertone in regards 2023, it looks like an APC agenda.

The question now is what about those Igbos who are affiliated to other political parties; will Ohanaeze now represent their interest? He recalled that in 2019, Barr Nnia Nwodo stated in clear terms that the Igbos will only support a candidate that will restructure Nigeria and so it happened when Igbos declared their support for Atiku Abubakar, even against the wishes of some state governors.

He said the above showed neutrality and also shows that Ohanaeze he said, is an independent entity. If President Muhammadu Buhari had pushed for restructuring, it means Igbos would have supported him.

“The South- West governors support Afenifere but do not impose leaders on them. Recently, when the South-West floated its security outfit, the governors of the South- East wanted to do same but for some unknown reasons, they stopped the agenda. “It was only Ohanaeze which continued to push. Imagine an Ohanaeze that is controlled by the governors, not just the governors, an APC governor.

It simply means that we will lose our voice against the Federal Government.” According to him every candidate who has declared for the presidency of Ohanaeze deserves a chance to convince the delegates on why he deserves to be the next president. Let the people make their choice.

“The fact that it is it the turn of Imo State to produce the next president does not mean that they must impose someone on the rest of the Igbo nation. Ohanaeze must not only be said to be just, it must be seen to be just,” he said.

He pleaded that any attempt to make Ohanaeze lose its neutrality will present a bad front for the future and his generation will suffer it. “The big question is that why is it that the APC in the South-East is so determined to bring Ohanaeze under its control? Records show that all those who have supported this consensus candidate either belongs to a state governed by the APC or is a card carrying member of the APC,” he said.

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