President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has affirmed Lady Aqueen Ibeto as the authentic President of United Kingdom (UK), chapter of the association.
Iwuanyanwu, therefore, appealed to the aggrieved factions to unite and work with Lady Ibeto in the best interest of Ndigbo.
The President-General spoke during a press briefing on Thursday, August 17 in London with Njenje Media TV and and was flanked by some Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK chieftains like Chief Onyema Anthony Ajiduah Odogwu-Abi, President Emeritus Ohanaeze Ndigbo, UK & Ireland, and the immediate past president, Dr. Nnanna Igwe.
He said: “We have President of the association who is established and who is doing very well and you say she is a woman and we should destroy the structure and put up a man.
“I think it is not fair under any condition that is why I am worried. It surprises me that some group of people who were there about six years ago when she was elected as Deputy President, the position she held for four years and everybody knows that whoever is Deputy President is a potential President if the President dies, the person will succeed him, but this did not happen.
“These people allowed it and they just come and say the structure should be dismantled, I don’t think it is in the interest of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for the structure to be dismantled and it will be a wrong thing if we listen to that advice, a structure that is serving the interest of Igbo.”
“I am appealing to them because it is only two years time there will be another election by the the constitution will now look into the issue about women and the office they can hold.”
Iwuanyanwu further stressed that the election which produced Lady Ibeto was conducted according to the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, adding that based on meeting held there is no where anybody said the election was rigged.
He said that like his predecessor he believed that the election that produced Lady Ibeto was properly conducted.
“I think like my predecessor, of I think the election that produced Lady Ibeto was properly conducted and she won the election.
“I have heard from all sides , I spent hours with the two factions in my home here (United Kingdom) and I asked questions even the person who is the president of other group, I asked him whether he contested the election, he did not contest the election,” the President-General added.
Speaking further, Iwuanyanwu said he asked the President of other faction how did he become the President, “because you can only form faction if the election was conducted and you felt cheated, but he never took part in any election.”
