Ohanaeze Ndigbo Political Forum: The Master Stroke That Turned Cabals Into Political Orphans

P.M.EXPRESS reports the above as the declaration of the Igbo Apex leader and President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, Chief Solomon Aguene, which eventually ended the political dominance of the cabals in Lagos State.

Hence, the formation and inauguration of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Political Forum with the mandate to be in charge of all political matters in the State, which eventually buried all the Igbo political groups including Mandate, Vision, Coalition, Abundance, Igbo In APC and others in Lagos State.

The members of the executives of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Political Forum included Chief Chris Ekwilo, Chairman, Chief Anselm Udoka (Orobo) as Deputy, Chief Solomon Chukwu, (Solochuks) 2nd Deputy, Secretary is Chief Smart Onyia, while Chief Babatata Uche, Chisco, is the Organizing Secretary, Women Leader is Lolo Chinyere Fanorot and others.

While presenting the Forum to the public, Chief Ogbonna stated that Ndigbo were presenting the people to the public and to let the landlords know that Ndigbo are good people and they are ready to give their best to the land.

“We believe in the Government of Lagos. We have seen, touched, and tasted the Government of the day in Lagos and because of that, we will give commensurate value to what you have done. We will sing another song of going to Lagos and Abuja.”

“We want to assure our Governor, friend of Ndigbo and our host community and to remind them what we did in 2019 in MUSON Centre and Alaba Market when Chief Ogbonna raised the hand of Mr. Governor and what followed is bloc vote from people of Igbo extraction. We are here to repeat that feat. With this new development, the anticipated bloc vote from Igbo will be achieved’, Aguene stated.

Chief Chris Ekwilo a.k.a  Anya Ndigbo said: ‘We are all aware that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is apolitical devoid of participating full time in politics but there is a reason the President, Solomon Ogbonna, deemed it fit to create this Political Forum because Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as umbrella body of the Igbo nation, cannot be seen to be involved in political activities hence the call for this Political Forum. This is the political arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos”.

He explained that the Igbo politicians, including him who is the founder of Igbo United Coalition in APC, Chief Uche Babatata, founder of Igbo Vision in APC, Chief Anselm Udoka a.k.a (Orobo), founder of Igbo Mandate in APC, Chief Babatata Uche who is the leader of Igbo Vision, were operating in separate directions thereby attracting the owners of the party to see them as unserious people and often sow seeds of discord among Igbos in APC.

Ekwilo said: “This political wing was facilitated by Chief Solomon Aguene, he has raised the bar of leadership by deeming it fit to bring these groups together in Ohanaeze to play politics as one united body hence Ohanaeze Political Forum. The reason is because the Government of Lagos State attach much importance to him for contributing to Lagos State, that which makes the Governor to often call him ‘my own brother’.

He stated further, “With the Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos will have easy access to deal with our brothers on the need for them to sow the seed of trust between us and our host communities and the Igbo to be seen as partners in progress as the host community will stop seeing an average Igbo person as those who bite the fingers that feed them. And to correct misinformation that those who close their shops in major markets to obtain their PVCs is to vote against APC”.

The Deputy Leader of the Forum, Chief Anselm Udoka added: “This is the first time we are getting it right with the President, Chief Solomon Ogbonna. I want to put it to you that any other Igbo group apart from those you see here today is not a standard Igbo group. Chief Chris Ekwilo is not a new name in Lagos politics. He delivered Asiwaju Tinubu in 1999, Fashola in 2009, Ambode in 2015, and delivered Sanwo-Olu in 2019”.

“The Igbo leaders you see here today are the real leaders of Ndigbo in Lagos State. My submission to the Executive Governor of Lagos State is that we have resolved our differences. Come 2023, Igbos will give the bloc vote to Mr. Governor and Asiwaju. At the centre of excellence, no going back”.

The Secretary of the political body, Hon. Smart Onyia said: “I want to commend the President, Chief Ogbonna. He has the magic wand and has come to display political artistry. He brought life into Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos and he is bringing life into Ohanaeze politics. By creating this political wing, he has succeeded in stopping the problems bedeviling our politics. There are people, who bring bad names to Igbos because they are in the political hierarchy. They are political burdens. They rain curses on Ndigbo. They can’t go to the East. Igbos don’t want to hear such again, they call themselves Apex Leaders yet they have been feeding fat on the Government”.

“Now, the Solomon of our time has come with the wisdom to lead. He has chosen the square peg in the square hole, the political juggernaut, Chief Ekwilo to lead. The political climate is now favourable to deliver Asiwaju Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu.”

Another Igbo political leader, popularly called Babatata shared: “Today is the day Lagos got it right. All the time Lagos had been saying we are not voting for them but we have. This time around, they will see massive votes because of Chief Solomon Ogbonna in 2023”.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that since the formation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Political Forum, many Igbo political groups have since accepted it and collapsed their structures across the 57 Local Councils in the State.