Information has emerged on how the President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo,
Chief Gary Igariwe, rebuffed President Muhammadu Buhari’s request seeking
to meet with the leadership of the of the apex Igbo socio political
organization few months to the 2015 presidential election.
Igariwe allegedly failed to acknowledge Buhari’s letter after a month, but
when he wrote two reminders, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo PG contacted members of
the Ime Obi, the highest decision making body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo who
advised him to grant audience to Buhari, then the presidential candidate
of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Despite Buhari’s persistence
requests, Igariwe ensured that Ohanaeze did not meet with him and
allegedly threw the letter into a waste basket.
A member of the Ime Obi who preferred anonymity told Pointblanknews.com in
Enugu, that the letter caused division in the group, with some members
backing Igariwe while others saw nothing wrong in Ohanaeze having a
meeting with a presidential candidate.
He said, “A few months before the 2015 presidential election, the APC
presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari wrote to have audience with
leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo under Igariwe, but he hid the letter from
the members. When Buhari wrote two reminders, Igariwe refused the advice
of the majority of Ohanaeze members to have a meeting with Buhari. When we
asked him about Buhari’s request, he boasted that he has torn his letter
and put it inside the waste paper basket. Some of us warned him to be fair
that there is nothing wrong in granting audience to a presidential
candidate but he and the Secretary, Dr. Joe Nworgu refused.
“That meeting, if it was allowed to hold, would have been a great
opportunity to extract commitment from Buhari to see how Ndigbo could
benefit from his administration. Yes, Ohaneze Ndigbo was supporting ex
President Goodluck Jonathan, a good leader could have managed the
situation well but Igariwe bungled the opportunity and laid our eggs in
one basket. Now, he is the President, will Buhari be disposed to meet with
Ohanaeze under Igariwe? He was interested in what he could make from
Jonathan rather than the interest of Ndigbo.”
It was gathered that Buhari who is reputed for vindictiveness has not been
disposed to meet with the group despite repeated efforts by Igariwe.
Pointblanknews.com learnt that since Buhari was sworn in as President on
May 29, 2015, Igariwe has been seeking to have audience with him, but is
allegedly being blocked by Buhari’s associates who knew the role he played
on the prelude to the presidential election.
Igariwe had been at daggers drawn with most members of the group who hoped
that Ohanaeze Ndigbo as a foremost socio political organization in Nigeria
would have since met with President Buhari to liaise on how his
administration can help Ndigbo. They blame Igariwe for Buhari’s lack of
relationship of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The President General whose tenure ends January 12, 2016, has been
battling a plant a successor who could protect his interest. In the last
two weeks, Igariwe has visited two South East governors, including Ifeanyi
Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, where the next Ohanaeze President General is
expected to emerge from, pleading support for his preferred candidate.