Senator John Azuta-Mbata of Rivers State has been elected as the 13th President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in an election that was held in Enugu on Friday.
Mbata was announced as the consensus winner by the chairman of the Ohanaeze electoral committee, Chief Ejiofor Onyia, after the general assembly of the Ohanaeze General Assembly meeting had dissolved the old executive committee led by Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu.
A motion for adoption of the consensus form of election was moved by Senator Chris Ngige and seconded by Chief Enwo Igariwey.
Other executive committee members elected together with Mbata include the National Secretary General, Emeka Siebudu; the Deputy President General, Okey Nwadinobi; the National Treasurer, Peter Aneke; the National Publicity Secretary, Ezechukwu Ezechi; the National Legal Adviser, Okeagu Oguada; among others.
The five governors in the Southeast states who were all in attendance said that they collectively resolved that Ohanaeze Ndigbo should be strengthened and supported to meet the original philosophy of the founding fathers of the apex Igbo organisation.
Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma stressed that the governors agreed to work in unity to move Ohanaeze forward, but that the custodians of Ohanaeze leadership must be people with track records and no more persons with traits of disharmony.
Accepting the leadership positions bestowed on them, the newly elected President General, Azuta Mbata, pledged to reinvent the Igbo Assembly spirit and once more make the nationality a pride of Nigeria.
Mbata said, “We will ensure that we continue to collaborate to ensure that the status of Ndigbo is moved forward and that our people continue to take their rightful place in the comity of nationalities in Nigeria. Thank you, your Excellencies, for what you have done.
“I thank Ndigbo for reposing in me the responsibility of the office of the President General. I want to say that you will not be disappointed because we have assembled a team of technocrats desirous to serve, and I believe that under the guidance of our governors, our leaders, Ndi Imeobi, we will do the needful and make you proud.”
