The spokesman for Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Alex Ogbonnia, has recalled the “emotional” remarks made by the group’s President General, Professor George Obiozor, before his death.

Mr Obiozor died on Wednesday, per an announcement by Imo State governor Hope Uzodimma. He was 80.

In a statement to mourn the demise of its leader, Mr Ogbonnia said Mr Obiozor “spoke emotionally about the candidacy of Peter Obi” at the last National Executive Committee meeting of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation. 

“He pointed out that it would have been a major catastrophe, if Obi were not in the race.

“Above all, Obiozor in his first world press conference as the President General assured the Igbo that time had come for the age-long collective aspiration of a Nigerian president from the South-East of Nigeria,” Mr Ogbonnia stated.

The Ohanaeze spokesman said the Igbo nation takes the news of Mr Obiozor’s death “with a heart overtaken by pain and sorrow”.

He described Obiozor as “a prodigy and an enigma of some sort, an erudite, reflective scholar of world renown and a prophetic intellectual.”

He further described him as an “astute, resourceful administrator, sagacious phebian, political submarine, seasoned diplomat, cultural reservoir, detribalised patriot and jovial cerebral discussant.”

He also stated that “the most endearing of the Obiozor’s mystique could be summarised in character; the courage of his convictions, steadfastness and uncompromising commitment to his goals”.

The statement added that the deceased demonstrated his unassailable commitment to the Igbo.

“We take solace in the fact that when a chronicle of Igbo personages will be launched, some leaders will appear in footnotes while some chapters will be devoted to Prof. George Obiozor,” Mr Ogbonnia concluded.

(NAN)