The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has accused certain factions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) of undermining the re-election aspirations of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma.

Ohanaeze alleges that these factions oppose Uzodinma's candidacy due to his previous opposition to Bola Tinubu before the party's presidential primary.

The organization contends that these factions seek to make Uzodinma a scapegoat for his past actions.

However, Ohanaeze emphasizes its impartiality in the upcoming Imo State governorship election on Saturday, stating that it has no favored candidate.

Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the factional Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, conveyed this stance in a statement released on Thursday.

The statement asserts, "Ohanaeze Ndigbo unequivocally maintains its zero neutrality stance in the Imo State Gubernatorial elections. We have no preferred candidate, and we believe in fostering a fair and transparent electoral process that upholds the principles of democracy. However, we cannot stand idly by while powerful forces within the APC engage in a witch hunt against Governor Uzodinma, seeking to deny him federal backing and manipulate the outcome of the elections.

"It has come to our attention that powerful forces within the All Progressives Congress (APC) are seeking retribution and revenge against Governor Uzodinma, using alleged past political errors as a pretext to undermine his candidacy in the forthcoming Imo State Gubernatorial elections.

"Governor Uzodinma’s supposed sins, as outlined by these vindictive APC cabals, include his role in working against President Tinubu during the Presidential primaries alongside the Former APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu. It is worth noting that both Adamu and the APC National Secretary were relieved of their offices due to their infamous actions against Tinubu during the APC primaries. Now, these same forces are demanding that Governor Uzodinma be sacrificed, unfairly targeting him as a scapegoat for their political vendettas.

"Our suspicions were further reinforced by a timely press interview credited to the Former APC National Vice Chairman (North West), Salihu Lukman, just days before the Imo State elections. In this interview, Lukman allegedly pointed out that Uzodinma was rewarded as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum after allegedly funding the attempts to adopt Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the APC consensus Presidential candidate."