1 week ago
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Amid the jubilation that trailed the emergence of an ex-lawmaker, Senator John Mbata, as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a contestant to the position and former secretary-general of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Chief Uche Okwukwu, has dismissed Friday’s election conducted by the group in Enugu State.
Okwukwu, who laid claim to the position of the president-general, said elections conducted by Ohanaeze Ndigbo had never been held in any government house.
Mbata, who hails from Rivers State, emerged as the 13th president-general under a voice vote, replacing Fidelis Chukwu, whose tenure came to an end on Friday (January 10).
Apart from Mbata, 15 other individuals were elected to various executive positions within the organisation.
The election, which was held at the Old Government Lodge, also saw the emergence of a new Secretary-General, Emeka Sibeudu, who is a former deputy governor of Anambra State.
Meanwhile, in a brief acceptance speech, Mbata thanked the governors of the region for their support and confidence in him.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the newly appointed National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Ezechi Chuckwu, highlighted the significance of the election and the unity displayed by Ndigbo from various sectors during the process.
“Today is a great day in the history of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide as Ndigbo massively came out, representing different sets of opinion, academia, and religious institutions as well as different organised bodies, both home and abroad and converged on Enugu to elect an able president-general in the name of John Azuta Mbata.
“There is no doubt that the president-general will do everything within his power to bring peace and unity to Igboland during his tenure. It is not even a question of people declaring for the presidency without having a general assembly,” he added.
Chuckwu also described Mbata as a “loving man of peace” who holds the welfare of the Igbo nation in high regard.
However, expressing dissatisfaction over the election held in Enugu, Okwukwu told Saturday PUNCH that to become the President-General of Ohanaeze, one must first be a member of the organisation and demonstrate a strong history of involvement.
“The election that brought me in as the president-general was conducted in Rivers State, in line with Ohanaeze’s tradition that election is held where the state producing the president-general hails from,” Okwukwu explained.
He noted that in 2017, Enugu State hosted the election when it produced the president-general, while in 2021, Imo State did the same, saying, “This time, the election was held in Port Harcourt, and I emerged victorious.”
He added, “We heard that some governors went to Enugu Government House, and an election notice was issued there. But Ohanaeze elections are not held in government houses; they are decided by a general assembly.”
Okwukwu questioned the legitimacy of the person claiming the position of President-General without being a member of Ohanaeze, asking, “Can someone who has never attended any Ohanaeze meeting or demonstrated membership be declared president-general? Ask him if he can boldly stand and say that he is an Igbo, and that Ikwerre people are Igbo as well.”
In a related development, another member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Jackson Omenazu, also laid claim to the position of the president-general, dismissing the election held in Enugu as an act of lawlessness.
“I am not bothered by what happened today. I remain the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. The election process in Enugu was flawed, and they did not follow the guidelines,” he said.
Omenazu further criticised some governors in the South-East, stating that only three out of the five governors were truly working for the interest of the people.
He vowed to return the leadership of Ohanaeze to the people and called for an end to the current lack of productivity.
“Ohanaeze belongs to the people, and I have taken it back to them. There’s no turning back,” Omenazu declared.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Senator Mbata on his election as the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The President’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Tinubu wished the newly elected Ohanaeze Ndigbo president success as he takes on this onerous yet noble and lofty task.
Speaking during the election, the host governor and Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, has stressed the need for a strong and united front by Ndigbo, urging all to put the Igbo interest above narrow interests and partisan politics.
He said, “We may be gathered here for the crucial task of electing members into the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, but this epic event yet offers room for introspection, regarding the noble vision that inspired our forebears towards its founding.
“The ties that bind us run deep and transcend geographical boundaries, for we are bound by a common history and cultural heritage. Our forebears clearly understood this. They understood, as well, that unity is a formidable force.
“From the Igbo Federal Union to the Igbo State Union and the Igbo Forum that would later become Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 1979, the motivation had always been the desire to forge unity and deep brotherhood amongst the Igbo.”
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