Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos Stakeholders Condemn Attack On Chief Kalu Onuma, Reaffirm Support For President General Azuta-Mbata

KINSLEY EBERE

Concerned stakeholders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State have condemned what they described as a malicious and baseless attack on Chief Kalu Onuma, the Global Executive Council, GEC, and the Office of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

The stakeholders made their position known in a rejoinder/open letter dated 7th September, 2026, addressed to Ndigbo in Lagos, the Igbo Community in Nigeria and the Diaspora, and the general public.

The rejoinder was in response to a publication circulated and signed by Uche Dimgba and Paul Eze, who claimed to be speaking for the “Elders Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos.”

According to the concerned stakeholders, the said publication does not represent the legitimate position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State and should be disregarded in its entirety.

On the legitimacy of the so-called Elders Council, the stakeholders questioned the authority behind the group. They alleged that the council was appointed by Chief Leonard Okafor, whom they described as an illegal and unrecognized President, with a promise to make Uche Dimgba Onyendu Ndigbo Lagos. They argued that illegality cannot give birth to legality and that any process rejected by the President General and the GEC cannot produce a valid Council of Elders.

“Therefore anything signed in that name is null, void and of no effect,” the statement said.

The stakeholders also defended the record of Chief Kalu Onuma, describing claims that he is not a member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo or an agent of confusion as deliberate falsehood. They stated that Chief Onuma has for decades invested his time, resources and goodwill in building Ohanaeze institutions and defending the welfare of Ndigbo in Lagos and beyond.

They added, “we are solidly behind Chief Kalu Onuma and the invaluable work he has done in preserving the history of Ohanaeze Ndigbo through his book, and we all will be there in solidarity this great mind of Igbo Nation.”

They further accused the authors of the earlier publication of hypocrisy and disrespect to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Distinguished Senator John Azuta-Mbata. The statement alleged that Rev. Paul Eze has been involved in publications attacking the President General, while at the same time claiming to support him.

For clarity, the concerned stakeholders restated what they described as the position and directive of the President General and the GEC regarding the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

According to them, the key decisions include that Lagos State Chapter currently has no President, that the GEC and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide shall obey and respect all valid court orders, and that the Resolution of 9th April, 2025 directing the conduct of elections in Lagos State shall be obeyed in full.

Other resolutions listed are that Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, and dialogue remain the preferred channels for resolving internal issues, that all factions and stakeholders are urged to maintain peace and refrain from actions capable of causing further division, and that the GEC will not recognize any parallel structure or imposition outside the Constitution and due process.

The stakeholders said any attempt to misrepresent these decisions amounts to an attack on Ohanaeze Worldwide itself.

In their final position, the concerned stakeholders reaffirmed their total support for the leadership of Senator John Azuta-Mbata and the decisions of the GEC. They also demanded an immediate retraction and public apology over the alleged attack on Chief Kalu Onuma.

They called on all well-meaning Ndigbo in Lagos to reject illegality and embrace the President General and GEC roadmap of elections and Alternative Dispute Resolution for lasting peace.

The statement concluded with the Igbo philosophy of unity, “Ohanaeze is one. Onye aghana nwanne ya,” stressing the need for due process and constitutional order in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State.

The rejoinder was signed by Concerned Stakeholders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, for Unity, Due Process and Constitutional Order.