Ohanaeze denies advising Peter Obi to withdraw from 2027 race

The apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has vehemently denied viral social media reports alleging it advised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to abandon any plans to contest the 2027 presidential election.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, the group described the reports as the handiwork of “mischief-makers and street urchins” seeking to undermine its credibility and stoke division.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been alerted to a misleading report circulating on social media alleging that the apex Igbo body warned Mr. Peter Obi against contesting the 2027 presidential election,” the statement read.

“It also claimed that Ohanaeze cautioned the North against backing his candidacy. We wish to categorically state that such a mischief-driven and misleading statement did not emanate from the dignified apex Igbo body.”

Chukwu insisted that the statement did not reflect the official position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, adding that the organization remains politically neutral and has not endorsed any presidential aspirant for the 2027 general elections.

He attributed the falsehood to a group he described as “clandestine starving street urchins” who parade “a phantom, ludicrous brown-envelope Ohanaeze with POS as their address.”

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“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is committed to the wellbeing of the Igbo nation and national development through justice, fairness, and equity,” he added.

He also emphasized the leadership structure of the authentic Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which includes Senator John Azuta Mbata (President-General), Prince Okey Nwadinobi (Deputy President-General), and Emeka Sibeudu (Secretary-General)—a team he said has no ties to the alleged statement.

Urging the public and media outlets to disregard the viral claim, Chukwu said Ohanaeze remains focused on unifying the Igbo nation and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development through constructive dialogue—not through partisanship or political blackmail.

“We urge the media and the public to disregard statements from incurable mercenaries unconscionably parading the Ohanaeze brand to execute the pecuniary bidding of their political paymasters,” the statement concluded.