Ohanaeze cautions against threat to polls in South East

• Says anti-democratic forces must be punished
• Expresses worry over uncollected PVCs in region

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said that no threat by any group or individual in the South East will stop the presidential election scheduled for February 25, warning anti-democratic forces to desist from their evil plot.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation also cautioned Simon Ekpa to return funds he allegedly collected to destroy prospects of the Labour Party (LP) to win the 2023 presidential elections.

According to a statement issued by the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Okechuke Isiguzoro, yesterday, which was made available to journalists in Kaduna, “intelligence reports revealed that Ekpa became frightened that his secrets have been uncovered, and quickly withdrew his response to $50,000 bounty placed on him, and has been begging Ohanaeze in the last 24 hours, through third-parties, to reconsider and review sanctions, as well as drop the bounty placed on him.”

Isiguzoro said: “Ndigbo’s response to Ekpa’s plea is that he must return all he had collected from his paymasters to destroy Obi’s support-base through his old-fashioned mantra of ‘No Election In Biafra Land,’ and rescind his intentions to declare four days sit-at-home, which he intends to declare from February 22 to 26, 2023, to disrupt the 2023 presidential elections in the region.

“Ndigbo will resist Ekpa’s attempts to scare voters in the South East and South South through his planned four days sit-at-home. Our suspicion was reinforced after Ekpa began to ask for forgiveness. We knew his plans to boycott the elections in the region and stop Obedients from voting for Obi and weaken the strength of the South East.

“The 2023 presidential election must hold in the region, and Ndigbo must vote for whoever is their choice at the polls.”

MEANWHILE, Ohanaeze, yesterday, also raised the alarm over thousands of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected by their owners in the region.

The Igbo socio-cultural group lamented that it is unacceptable that an eligible Igbo person could be reminded to collect his voter card, and to vote in the coming elections.

It also called on other South East governors to emulate governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to declare public holidays to compel residents to obtain their PVCs.

A statement by Ohanaeze’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, stated: “While campaigns cannot be delinked with the internet in what some call technological determinism; that is the thinking that the internet drives historical, economic, political and cultural changes, in reality, it is the voting behaviour of the group that determines electoral outcome at polls.”