KINGSLEY EBERE
The scramble to take over Lagos by two factions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide intensified as Ohanaeze President, Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, has hosted Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and is set to host Chief Chidi Ibeh in coming days in the State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Chief Ibeh and his Executives are set to visit Lagos in the coming days as Chief Iwuanyanwu was in the State for three days official visit and met some Igbo critical stakeholders including Chief Aguene.
Other dignitaries in attendance included the Chairman Supreme Council of Ndieze, Lagos State, Eze Lawrence Nnamdi Eze, and his Deputy, Eze Vincent Iwobi, Eze Slyvanus Onuoha, Eze Chukwuakalikamadu, other Ndieze, captains of Industry and Igbo men and women in attendance.
The hosting was sponsored by a business mogul and Director, Chisco motors, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu, where some discussions on how to unite and move Ndigbo forward including the leadership crisis in Ohanaeze, Lagos State.
During the visit, Chief Iwuanyanwu told Aguene that he was misled by some people who did not tell him that there was a dispute in Lagos and presented Chief Sunday Ossai as the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State to him when he took over.
“They handed over Sunday Ossai to me as the President of Lagos branch without informing me of any dispute. The report I had was that the former man, Solomon, who I don’t know and I have never met, had completed his four-year tenure. This is the impression that I get from people.”
However, Chief Iwuanyanwu directed Aguene and his faction to write a petition to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide because he never knew that there was subsisting Court judgment in favour of Aguene as the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State.
This happened after one Dr ( Mrs.) Vivian Obi informed him that Chief Ossai election was unconstitutional, null and viod because there was a subsisting Court judgment that made the whole process a nullity and the matter was still before the Lagos State High Court.
It was obvious that Chief Iwuanyanwu was misled and deceived by some group of people who did not tell him the truth that Chief Solomon Aguene is the authentic Ohanaeze President, Lagos State based on the Lagos State High Court consent judgment dated 12th April, 2023 pronouncing Aguene president for four years, which will elapse in 2026.
Chief Iwuanyanwu was recently appointed as the factional president General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, after the demise of Professor George Obizor to complete the tenure of Imo State on the zoning arrangement of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. It was alleged that Governor Uzodinma appointed him to assist his reelection bid and will amend the Ohanaeze Constitution to extend Iwuanyanwu’s tenure since the late Obiozor has spent most of the tenure before his demise.
While Chief Iwuanyanwu and Okey Emuchay are parading themselves as factional president and Secretary General of Ohanaeze respectively, another faction led by Chief Chidi Ibeh and Okechukwu Isiguzoro, were elected as President and Secretary General in the Prince Richard Ozobu-led election committee while Barrister Uche Okwukwu emerged as the Deputy President.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been bogged down with leadership impasse and crisis, leading to factionalization since the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization’s January, 2021 elections.
Following his wrongful exclusion from Ohanaeze due to political differences with the former President General, the Secretary General (Okwukwu), from his submission to the Bishops’ committee, in line with the Constitution, consulted the President General to convene meetings leading to the election of the Chief Engr Chidi Ibeh-led Ohanaeze executive in Enugu on 9th January, 2021 by the Prince Richard Ozobu election committee.
However, the next day, being 10th January, 2021,the then President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo went ahead to conduct a factional election in Owerri without the Secretary General, in contravention of the body’s Constitution to produce the Late Prof George Obiozor led executive by Chief Gary Igariwey election committee.
At the heat of the crisis in 2021, majority of the Imeobi Members and recognized affiliates stood in opposition against Late Obiozor for allowing the Imo State Government to drag him into illegalities, for their selfish political ends. Whereas majority of imeobi members and Affiliated bodies supported and endorsed the Chief Engr Chidi Ibeh-led executive, others chose to be neutral and sue for peace and reconciliation. Since then, there has been no peace in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.