Ex-PDP chairperson emerges new Ohaneze president-general

A former National Vice-Chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party in South-east, Fidelis Chukwu, has emerged as the new president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Mr Chukwu replaces the immediate past president-general of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who died on 25 July after a protracted illness.

The spokesperson of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, in a statement said the new president-general emerged at Imeobi Ohanaeze’s meeting on Saturday in Enugu.

Mr Ogbonnia said the new president-general would serve for 27 days to complete the turn of the Imo State which ends on 10 January.

The spokesperson Mr Chukwu emerged as a result of a “chain of catastrophe” which befell Ohanaeze with the deaths of former President-Generals of the group, George Obiozor and Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu between 2022 and 2024.

He recalled that the people of Imo State had presented late Iwuanyanwu to Imeobi Ohanaeze to complete the tenure of Imo State and Mr Obiozor, a professor, who hailed from the state.

“By the application of a doctrine of necessity, Iwuanyanwu was sworn-in on April 30, 2023. Unfortunately, Chief Iwuanyanwu died on July 25, 2024 and was buried on November 1, 2024.

“It is in line with the doctrine of necessity that the Imo State Chapter of Ohanaeze, led by Barrister C.J Ihemedu presented Nze Ozichukwu to the Imeobi Ohanaeze to exhaust the balance of four year tenure allotted to Imo State,” he said.

Mr Ogbonnia said the Chairperson of Imo Council of Elders, Cletus Ilomuanya, moved motion for the adoption of Mr Chukwu as the new president-general which was supported by Simon Okeke.

The motion was adopted through a voice vote, he said.

Rivers to produce next president-general of Ohanaeze

A communique issued after the meeting said the socio-cultural organisation has resolved that its next president-general will come from Rivers State.

The communique was jointly signed by Mr Ogbonnia and the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okey Emuchay.

It added that the Imeobi Ohanaeze also resolved that the composition of both Election and Screening Committees for the forthcoming Ohanaeze election will be carried out by the group’s National Executive Committee.

In attendance at the event were Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, the presidents of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Rivers States.

Others were Abia South Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, former APGA National Chairperson, Chekwas Okorie, former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, and a former Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, a professor.

Mr Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidi Onyia, urged the new president-general to ensure that the forthcoming Ohanaeze election was both “transparent and credible.”

Zoning principle in Ohanaeze

The position of president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo rotates among seven Igbo-speaking states in south-east and south-south Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

The South-east has five states namely, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo while the south-south region has two states which are Rivers and Delta States.

Each state is to produce the president-general of Ohanaeze who would serve for a single tenure of four years, according to an existing zoning arrangement of the Igbo group.

A state which does not complete its tenure as a result of the death or resignation of the incumbent president-general is permitted to nominate another to complete such tenure subject to ratification by the Imeobi Ohanaeze.

Supporters of Mr Chukwu’s emergence argue that it is the prerogative right of Imo State to nominate a new president-general of the group to complete the remaining 27 days of Mr Iwuanyanwu’s four years tenure.

He becomes the 12th president-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.