The apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has declared that any Igbo person with political affiliation and ambition is free to contest the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President-General of the group, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, dismissed as fake news reports suggesting that the organisation had taken a stand on who should or should not run for the nation’s highest office.
Azuta-Mbata clarified that Ohanaeze is a socio-cultural organisation and not a political party, stressing that it lacks the constitutional mandate to dictate or restrict the political aspirations of its members.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is not a political party. We are not in a position to say, dictate, or even advise on who should contest elections in Nigeria in 2027 or at any time for that matter. Any information to the contrary should be discountenanced,” the statement read.
The Ohanaeze leader urged Ndigbo across the country to continue engaging actively and lawfully in political activities within the parties of their choice.
This clarification comes amid growing debate over the zoning of the presidency ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the South-East consistently agitating for the region to produce the next president.
