Ohanaeze Ndigbo denies electing new national youth leader

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo people, has denied media reports that Mr Livinus Obasi has been elected its new National Youth Leader.

The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr Alex Ogbonnia, made the denial in an interaction with newsmen in Owerri, on Monday.

Ogbonnia said that although the Organisation’s erstwhile Youth Leader, Mr Damian Okafor, was suspended, the National Executive Council (NEC), led by its President-General, Prof. George Obiozor, was still working hard to settle the issues that led to his suspension.

Ogbonnia, a former Chairman of the Organisation in Enugu, called on the general public not to be misguided by “deceitful media reports of a purported bye-election” to replace the suspended Youth Leader, adding that such reports were the handiwork of mischief makers.

“It is true that Okafor was suspended, but the NEC is working assiduously to resolve the issues, and when we do, the public will be duly informed.

“The NEC is not aware of any bye-election to replace Okafor. The said election lacks credibility; is not known to us, and was neither approved nor supervised by us. We therefore refuse to recognise Obasi as youth leader “, he said.

Speaking, Secretary of Ohanaeze Youth Wing in Rivers, Mr Chika Onuoha, denied being part of the election and advised the Organisation’s youths to desist from acts capable of causing disunity among its members.

He restated his support for the Obiozor-led NEC, adding that anything to the contrary would amount to insubordination and unruly behaviour.

“Those of us in Rivers will not work against the NEC because in Prof. Obiozor, we have a leader of high repute.

“We were not part of the said election that produced Obasi and we will exhaust all legal channels as we vehemently oppose moves to parade him as the new National Youth Leader,” he said.