John Azuta-Mbata, a former Nigerian Senator, has been elected as the 13th President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
Azuta-Mbata was elected as the new President-General during Friday’s election of new executives for the Igbo group in Enugu. He succeeds Fidelis Chukwu, the immediate past President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Azuta-Mbata, who hails from the Ikwere Ethnic Nationality in Rivers State, served as Senator for the Rivers East Constituency from 1999 to 2007. In his acceptance speech, he pledged to work towards uniting Ndigbo and addressing their pressing concerns.
Okey Nwadinobi from Abia State was elected National Deputy President, while Emeka Sibeidu, a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, was elected as the new Secretary-General of the organisation. Other elected officials include a Deputy Secretary-General, National Financial Secretary, Assistant National Financial Secretary, National Treasurer, and others.
The election process involved dissolving the existing executive committee, temporarily suspending the Ohanaeze constitution, and adopting the contestants as consensus candidates.
Southeast governors in attendance included Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Alex Otti (Abia), Charles Soludo (Anambra), and Peter Mbah (Enugu), the host governor.
Governor Mbah emphasised the importance of unity among Ndigbo and urged them to prioritise their collective interests. He stressed that unity is crucial for the progress of the Igbo people.
The position of President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo rotates among the seven Igbo-speaking states in south-east and south-south Nigeria.
These states are: Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo in the south-east, and Rivers and Delta in the south-south. Each state is mandated to produce the President-General of Ohanaeze, who serves a single four-year term, according to an existing zoning arrangement within the organisation.
