The Igbo apex ruling body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said over the weekend that the Ohanaeze, Afenifere and South South zone of the country voted for President Goodluck Jonathan in the recently-concluded presidential election in order to protect the recommendations of the National Conference held last year.

Disclosing this to newsmen, President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Anambra State, Elder Chris Eluemuno, also hinted that a non-implementation of the confab resolutions by the incoming administration would be to risk disunity in the country.

He added that the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), will fail if he does not work with Jonathan, since “there are areas he has to consult him.”

According to him, “It was to implement the confab recommendations that Ohanaeze, Afenifere and majority of the core Yoruba voted for President Jonathan, and the only way Buhari can bring the South East, the South South and the South West together with the rest of the country is by implementing those resolutions.

“He has no choice than to implement them. There is nothing the Igbo, core Yoruba and the Ijaw will ask him to do for them than the implementation of the resolutions of that confab.”

He continued: “Buhari has to sit down, and find out why the South East, South South and majority of the South West did not vote for him; if he really wants the unity of this country, he has to implement the resolution. Those resolutions are the major key to the unity of this country. He has no alternative than to implement the confab resolutions, unless he doesn’t want the unity of this country.”

He stressed that the country might fall into disunity following a non-implementation of the resolutions, insisting, “If anybody advises him against the implementation, that person does not want the unity of this country. If it is not implemented, it is to your tents, oh Israel.”

He, however, assured that his organisation would work with the President-elect, as a body with national interest. “Ohanaeze works with any government at the centre, irrespective of political, tribal and religious affiliations.”

Nevertheless, he stated a note of warning: “Buhari will fail if he does not work with Jonathan, as there are areas he has to consult him.”

According to him, “the election was massively rigged in the North, while in the South, the Card Reader was judiciously used. The result that came up in the North shows that APC is a regional party, so Buhari has a lot of work to do.”

Commending President Jonathan for the spirit of sportsmanship in conceding defeat, Eluemuno recalled that Buhari lost election three times, and went to court each time, instead of conceding defeat.

•Adapted from Newswatch Times. Photo shows Eluemuno.

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