Ekpa was paid $1m to destroy Obi’s chances —Ohanaeze 

The apex socio-cultural organization in Igboland, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has called on Simon Ekpa to return the alleged $1 million he received from his paymasters to undermine the presidential candidacy of Peter Obi from the Labour Party in the 2023 election. The group asserted that Ekpa would be pursued globally to answer for the offenses he has committed against the South-East geopolitical zone. They noted that the leader of the splinter group of the Indigenous People of Biafra is acting on behalf of those opposed to having a Nigerian president of Igbo descent.

During an interview with The, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Comrade Okechukwu Isiguzoro, expressed the organization’s concerns. He stated, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has cautioned Simon Ifeanyi Njoku Ekpa to return the funds he collected with the malicious intent to sabotage the Labour Party’s chances in the upcoming presidential election on February 25, 2023.” Isiguzoro further revealed that intelligence reports indicated Ekpa became alarmed when his secrets were uncovered, leading him to withdraw his response to the $50,000 bounty placed on him. He has since been pleading with Ohanaeze Ndigbo through third parties to reconsider the sanctions and lift the bounty.

In response to Ekpa’s plea, Ndigbo has demanded that he return the $1 million to the unpopular presidential candidate he is supporting. They insisted that he must quickly repay all he has received from his paymasters to prevent the erosion of Peter Obi’s support base. The organization condemned Ekpa’s outdated mantra of “No Election in Biafra Land” and his plans to declare a four-day sit-at-home from February 22 to 26, 2023, aimed at disrupting the presidential elections in the South-East.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo vowed to resist any attempts by Ekpa to intimidate voters in the South-East and South-South regions through his planned sit-at-home. Their suspicions were heightened when Ekpa sought forgiveness, as it became clear that his intention to boycott the elections was designed to deter ‘ObiDient’ supporters from voting for Peter Obi and to weaken the South-East’s electoral strength.

The organization emphasized that the 2023 presidential elections must take place in the South-East, and Ndigbo should vote for their preferred candidates. They demanded that Simon Ekpa repay all funds he has received from adversaries of Ndigbo, disband his violent factions in the region, and express genuine remorse for the disturbances caused by his inflammatory rhetoric and falsehoods about the Igbo people.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo warned that unless Ekpa complies with these conditions, they would track him down in Finland and Europe, as both Ndigbo and Nigerians in those regions have responded positively to the $50,000 bounty placed on him. They asserted that it is only a matter of time before Simon Ifeanyi Njoku Ekpa is apprehended and extradited to Nigeria to face charges for the crimes and violence he has incited in the South-East.