KINGSLEY EBERE
Fresh details have emerged on why the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos sacked its former President General, Chief Sunday Udeh, over his role in the Ezendigbo Gburugburu certificate scandal.
The new leadership, led by Chief Chukwudi Chinye, said Chief Udeh issued the controversial certificate without approval from the General Assembly, Board of Trustees, or Council of Elders.
For context, Ezendigbo is the traditional title given to the recognized Igbo leader in a city, LGA, or state outside Igboland. The holder represents Igbo culture, settles disputes, and speaks for Ndigbo in that domain. Because of this, the process of appointment requires wide consultation and ratification by elders.
The document dated 10th April, 2026, was printed on the letterhead of the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos, RC: 11,534, Corporate Affairs Commission.
The headquarters was listed as No. 6, Anjorin Street, Beside Total Filling Station, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos with motto “Unity is Strength”.
The certificate conferred the title of *Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu Lagos State on Igwe Frederick N. Nwajagu, JP, Igwe Onataludikemma.
However, the new executives exposed that the certificate carried the personal phone numbers of the former leaders instead of the community’s official contacts.
The number 08035734326 belonged to Chief Sunday Udeh while 08037124020 belonged to his former Secretary General, Chucks Odimegwu respectively.
The new executives have since declared the certificate “null, void and of no effect”.
Speaking on the development, the newly elected President General, Chief Chukwudi Chinye, said the action violated the community’s constitution.
“The office of President General is not a personal property. Chief Udeh acted alone and issued a certificate that did not pass through the General Assembly, Board of Trustees or Council of Elders. That is a clear violation of our constitution,”* Chief Chinye said.
“We cannot have two constitutions in one community. The title of Ezendigbo is not something one man wakes up and gives. It requires consultation, consensus and approval by stakeholders. What happened was an abuse of office and that is why the house decided to remove him,”* he added.
Chief Chinye also warned against the misuse of the community’s identity.
“RC: 11,534 belongs to all Ndigbo in Lagos, not to one individual. Going forward, every official document must carry the seal and resolution of the executive,” he said.
3 Reasons Given For Chief Udeh’s Sack
1. Unilateral Issuance of Title: Awarding the Ezendigbo Gburugburu title without due process
2. Misuse of Office: Using the community’s letterhead and CAC registration for personal directives
3. Breach of Constitution: Creating a parallel authority that undermined collective leadership
The decision has been welcomed across Igbo communities in Surulere, Mushin, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Ikotun, Ejigbo and other parts of Lagos.
A stakeholder and elder in Surulere, Chief Emeka Okafor, said:
“For years we have been crying about one-man rule. This Ezendigbo title is not chieftaincy for birthday. It represents over 2 million Ndigbo in Lagos. The new executives have done the right thing to save our image.”
Stakeholders described the move as necessary to restore peace, unity and credibility in the leadership of Ndigbo in Lagos.
As at press time, efforts to reach *Chief Sunday Udeh and Chucks Odimegwu for comments were unsuccessful.
The new executives pledged to reconcile all factions and set up a committee to review all chieftaincy matters to ensure transparency going forward.