Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the Apex Igbo Sociocultural organization, on Sunday described as false, report that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu referred to Yorubas as political rascals.
Ohanaeze insisted the report was “a typical falsehood, fabricated by social media entrepreneurs to create inter-ethnic mistrust between the age-long partners in the religious, cultural, social and economic development of Nigeria.
The group stated this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, in Enugu
Ogbonnia denied that Iwuanyanwu did not make such a remark while speaking during an event to mark the one year in office of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, in Awka, Anambra State, on Saturday.
According to him, Iwuanyanwu only drew the attention of the audience and the general public to the fact that the Ndigbo and Yoruba people were neither fighting nor quarrelling, implying that the Yoruba were a friendly group of people.
The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the fake news making the rounds that the Chairman, Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, referred to the Yoruba as political rascals.
“Iwuanyanwu only said, “I want to tell those in Lagos [State] to realize that there is no war between us and the Yorubas”, stating that “those who attacked Ndigbo in Lagos recently are rascals who should be arrested.”
Recall that before the gubernatorial election, Igbos were attacked in Lagos State.
The attacks followed the win of Peter Obi, the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, in Lagos as markets majorly populated by Igbos were attacked and burnt down before the gubernatorial election
