Former governor of Abia, Orji Uzo Kalu, has condemned the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, by Ohaneze.
He accusedthe John Nwodo-led executive of the organisation of betraying the people’s trust and exposing the body as being partisan.
According to Kalu, who spoke with newsmen at his Camp Neya country home in Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of the state, on Sunday, stated that the body went beyond its brief by aligning with a political party.
He also maintained that the action did not have the backing of majority of members.
He said: “Ohaneze is a socio-cultural organisation and so should not be seen to be partisan. What the leadership did by endorsing Atiku was not in the interest of the Igbo nation.
“The endorsement also did not enjoy the support of the majority of members but may be a committee’s decision.”
The former governor posited that the endorsement could cause division in the organisation if not rescinded.
“I was very surprised that Nwodo, whom I have a lot of respect for, could do such a thing because that is not the right thing to do.
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“What they just did implies that we have two Ohanezes, or we are going to have another organisation in a different name.
“I will be in consultation with Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra and other people of goodwill to decide what we will do next, we are not going to accept it.
“These are card-carrying members of PDP, they cannot use Ohaneze platform to endorse any candidate, it’s not acceptable to us.
“We want a level playing ground. I expected Ohaneze to be neutral, whoever wins, they should support.
“I’m not even expecting them to endorse Buhari, we want them to be neutral because neutrality is the hallmark of every independent cultural association,” Kalu said.
On whether the endorsement would sway the voting pattern in the South-East against President Muhammadu Buhari, Kalu said it would not adding that South-East APC had begun intensive campaign in churches and communities to showcase the president’s performance in the zone in just barely four years of his administration.
He also debunked allegations that the president hated Ndigbo, saying that Buhari had done for the area what PDP government could not do in their 16 years.
