CHUKA UBAH
The self acclaimed factional President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Sunday Ossai, had a nasty experience on Saturday at the purported Igbo Day celebration, which he organized and it flopped, following the boycott by prominent Igbo people including members of the cabals, who were said to be behind him, over money from the PDP in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the event, which was held at the Police College at Ikeja, witnessed very low turnout equally occasioned by the absence of his top sponsors including Chief Joe Igbokwe, Eze Uche Dimgba, Chief Oliver Akubueze, Chief Anselm Njoku, Eze Chris Offia and others.
Apart from the members of the cabals, who were visible angry over alleged betrayal by Ossai, most Igbo traditional rulers a.k.a Ezendigbo in Lagos State led by their Supreme Council Chairman, Eze Lawrence Nnamdi Eze, his deputy, Eze Vincent Iwobi, Eze Christian Nwachukwu and others snubbed him and were also absent.
P.M.EXPRESS findings revealed that Chief Ossai landed in trouble after the members of the cabals discovered an alleged double game, which he played over his planned invitation and endorsement of the PDP Governorship candidate in Lagos State, popularly known as Jandor.
He was alleged not to have carried the members of the cabals along and did not also disclose the amount involved, which made Chief Ossai to change his mind against his earlier claim that they were supporting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the 2023 Gubernatorial election in the state.
When the information leaked that Chief Ossai will be endorsing the PDP Governorship candidate, popularly known as Jandor, as the choice of the Igbo people for the Lagos State Gubernatorial election coming up in 2023, members of the cabals revolted and stayed off the event in order not to portray the substantive President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, as the only Igbo leader genuinely supporting the APC and the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the Lagos State contest.
However, the deed was done as the PDP Governorship candidate, Jandor, actually attended the event, where Chief Ossai was said to have purportedly endorsed him as his candidate for the election.
This has now landed him in trouble as the members of the cabals are now shopping for a candidate to replace him for not serving their interest as negotiations are ongoing as at the time of filing this report.
This was disclosed by a two-term former Secretary of Ohanaeze, Chief Thompson Ohia, the Chief of Staff to the authentic and substantive Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State President, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene.
He said stated that what happened at the event has shown that lies have expiry dates and the Igbo in Lagos State have rejected Chief Ossai and members of the cabals because they are selfish people, who do not have the interest of the Igbo in Lagos State at heart.
Chief Ohia stated that over the years, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene has demonstrated that he has the capacity and is truly the leader of Ndigbo in Lagos State by organizing unprecedented Igbo Day celebration in the state.
He explained that when Chief Ogbonna Aguene organised Igbo Day, against all odds, he brought the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, top prominent Igbo stakeholders including Chief Chidi Anyaegbu (Chisco), Victor Umeh, Obi Cubana, Dangote and Femi Otedola and many other captains of Industry.
Ohia stated that he was not surprised that Chief Ossai and members of the cabals were scattered because they are set of greedy people, whose mission is to loot and work against the interest of the Igbo in Lagos State.
He maintained that Chief Ogbonna Aguene is the true leader of Ndigbo and he is the person the cap fits, which is why he has massive followership and leads the Igbo with every sincerity and fear of God.
He reiterated the commitment of Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene to mobilize the Igbo in Lagos State for APC both at the State and Federal levels with the endorsement of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for President and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for reelection in 2023.