SOLOMON OGBONNA: ‘IWUANYANWU DIDN’T CALL ME TO STEP DOWN’, WARNS BLACKMAILERS AGAINST FAKE NEWS, DEFAMATION • as he condoles with family of late Herbert Wigwe
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene
The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene warned fake news peddlers and blackmailers to desist from misrepresenting him. Noting that he remains guided under consent judgment of the Appeal Court which makes him the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos till 2026, he added that the President-General Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu of the sociocultural organization worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu didn’t ask him to vacate his role on his recent visit to Enugu, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
In his interview with Trek Africa Newspaper, Chief Solomon Ogbonna informed: ‘Anybody who wants to fight me should go and vacate the Court judgment. The reality is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has won the victory at the Supreme Court and there can’t be anybody claiming to be President until 2027. The same applies to me I have a Consent Judgment of the Appeal Court as the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos until 2026, so nobody can parade himself as President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos.’
On the matter of a journalist who is threatening to defame him, Solomon Ogbonna Aguene indicated: ‘Recently, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu invited me to Enugu for something entirely different from Ohanaeze issue. It is a personal issue. He didn’t interfere in my government.’
‘But a journalist, Cyriacus Izuekwe called me upon my return that he will make publication that Chief Iwuanyanwu asked me to step down. He has been calling me before asking me for money but I don’t give him. He must be brought to justice. He is a blackmailer. He can’t go home with this by insulting our President-General. This is an insult from PM News to report what the President-General has not said.’
‘Our President-General Iwuanyanwu didn’t make such a statement. If Iwuanyanwu wants to reveal what we discussed personally, it is for him but it was never about the issue of Ohanaeze’, he told Trek Africa Newspaper.
The man fondly called ‘wise Solomon’ by his admirers affirmed his presidential seat in Lagos. ‘There is no faction in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos. The case was in court for 3 years. This is the secretariat on James Robertson street, Surulere. All the traditional rulers are here with me. When I came the first time, there was no headquarters but I got one. I did health scheme. I will continue to do so. I knew before I came into office that Ohanaeze Ndigbo does not have allocation but I have confidence in my contacts and relationship with Igbo elites in Lagos.’
‘Today, Igbos are back in the mainstream of Lagos with Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. I hosted a mega-campaign. I also hosted the biggest town-hall meeting for Igbos. After that, Sanwo-Olu has supported us to host Igbo conferences for 4 years and still counting. Ohanaeze Ndigbo was out of the mainstream of Lagos politics since the time of Tinubu.
The widely-traveled culture ambassador, Chief Ogbonna also used the opportunity to pay condolences to the Herbert Wigwe family and friends on the loss. ‘Herbert Wigwe is a friend of this family. His father used to live around this street. My sympathy for the whole family and country. Everything in this life is according to God’s plan. We have no one to apportion blame.’
