Possible Factionalisation As Okwukwu, Mbata Emerge As Ohanaeze Ndigbo Presidents
There seems to be a possible factionalisation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as Senator John Azuta Mbata and and Bar. Uche Okwukwu have emerged as new Presidents of the body.
Didactic Information Hut reports that both 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.
While the election which produced Senator Mbata took place in Enugu and had prominent Igbo Personalities in attendance, the details of the emergence of Barr Okwukwu is still sketchy as at press time. Barr 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 who was elected via voice voting, have 15 others also elected to be part of his new executive.
Didactic Information Hut gathered that five governors of the South-East region, as well as leaders of thoughts, and other political stakeholders from the Igbo extraction were all present at the election in Enugu on Friday.
Some concerned Igbos had previously raised an alarm over possible factionalisation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo ahead of the January 10th election.
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.
