The President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has affirmed Lady Aqueen Ibeto as the authentic President of the United Kingdom (UK) chapter of the body.

Iwuanyanwu, in a press briefing on Thursday, in London with Njenje Media TV and Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK chieftains, passionately appealed to the aggrieved faction to unite and work with Lady Ibeto, who is the President of the United Kingdom Chapter of the apex socio-cultural organisation in the best interest of Ndigbo.

He expressed serious concerns that those who were present when Lady Ibeto was installed about six years ago were the same people currently opposing her, on the ground that she is a woman, pointing out that she had done well within the period she occupied the office.

According to him, “We have President of the Association, who is established and who is doing very well and you say she is a woman and we should destroy the structure and put up a man.

“I think it is not fair under any condition; that is why I am worried. It surprises me that some group of people who were there about six years ago when she was elected as Deputy President, the position she held for four years and everybody knows that whoever is Deputy President is a potential President, if the President dies, the person will succeed him, but this did not happen.

“These people allowed it and they just come and say the structure should be dismantled. I don’t think it is in the interest of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for the structure to be dismantled and it will be a wrong thing if we listen to that advice, a structure that is serving the interest of Igbos.

“I am appealing to them because it is only two years time, there will be another election. The Constitution will now look into the issue about women and the office they can hold.”

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Speaking further, Iwuanyanwu said that election that produced Lady Ibeto was conducted according to the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, noting that based on the meeting held, nobody said that the election that brought the woman to the office was rigged.

He said that like his predecessor, he believed that the election that produced Lady Ibeto was properly conducted, stressing that there was no need for the subsisting agitation to emerge.

The President-General said, “Like my predecessor, I think the election that produced Lady Ibeto was properly conducted and she won the election.

“I have heard from all sides. I spent hours with the two factions in my home here (United Kingdom) and I asked questions even the person who is the President of the other group, I asked him whether he contested the election, and he said that he did not contest.”

Iwuanyanwu said that he asked the President of another faction how he became the President, saying, “because you can only form a faction if the election was conducted and you felt cheated, but he never took part in any election.”

Present at the briefing were Chief Onyema Anthony Ajiduah Odogwu-abi, President Emeritus Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, UK & Ireland, and the immediate past President, Dr Nnanna Igwe.