Former Senator for Rivers East constituency, John Azuta-Mbata, has been elected President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide in the presence of dignitaries including the five governors of the South-East region.
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Azuta-Mbata, supposedly a loyalist of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on his election as the new leader of the apex umbrella Igbo group.
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Leaders of thoughts and other political stakeholders from the Igbo extraction were all present at the election in Enugu on Friday.
Azuta-Mbata’s emergence follows the zoning of the role to Rivers State after the passing of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who represented Imo State.
Azuta-Mbata, a former Senator, represented Rivers East in the Senate from 1999 to 2007.
He was elected as President of the preeminent Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group at its meeting in Enugu on Friday.
A statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga said: “President Tinubu also congratulates the group on the successful leadership transition and enjoins the new leaders to uphold the principles of their predecessors.
“The President recognises the critical role of socio-cultural organisations in nation-building; hence, his commitment to promoting dialogue among our ethnic nationalities.
“President Tinubu wishes the newly elected Ohanaeze Ndigbo President success as he takes on this onerous yet noble and lofty task.”
The election, held on 10 January 2025 at the Old Government Lodge in Enugu, saw delegates from Rivers State unanimously nominating Azuta-Mbata for the position.
Azuta-Mbata, the first Ikwerre native to serve as Rivers East Senator under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, assumes leadership at a pivotal moment for the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
In his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him, pledging to foster unity among Igbo people and tackle key challenges facing the community.
His election is seen as a milestone in reinforcing inclusivity and regional representation within the Igbo-speaking regions.
However, another faction announced Barrister Uche Okwukwu as new Presidents of the body.
Mbata and Okwukwu are from the Ikwerre ethnic nationality in Rivers State which has sparked a recent claim to be Igbos because of the slot to Rivers State to produce the new President of the Igbo Socio-cultural umbrella group.
The emergence of both Mbata and Okwukwu follows the Ohanaeze Ndigbo election which held today.
Okwukwu is a former Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Before today’s election, Chief Dr. Jackson Omenazu, another Ikwerre man, on January 5th in another factional election, had emerged as Ohanaeze Ndigbo President.
The takeover of the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo by the Ikwerre is a strategic move aimed at reintegrating the people who had registered as a separate ethnic group in Nigeria after the civil war, citing alleged maltreatment by the Igbo hinterland during that period.
Mbata, elected via voice voting, has 15 others also elected to be part of his new executive.
Meanwhile, some observers of the politics which had influenced the Ohanaeze Ndigbo election allege that Senator Mbata is loyal to President Bola Tinubu and got massive consensus support and endorsement from loyalists of the President against Barr Okwukwu who is believed to be the leader of the radical faction of the Organization and loyal to former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
