KINGSLEY EBERE
Factional Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State chapter led by Chief Sunday Ossai has been thrown into disarray as his Campaign Director, Ichie Anselm Njoku, popularly known as Anatu Anatu, dumped him and declared Chief Solomon Aguene as the President of the Lagos State Chapter.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Ichie Njoku, also known as Akeweje in Yoruba land, confirmed Chief Aguene as the President following the pronouncement by the President General of Ohanaeze Worldwide, Senator John Mbata, that Chief Solomon Aguene is the authentic President.
The recent pronouncements by Senator John Mbata and Ichie Njoku have thrown the group into confusion and some of them have now realized that they have actually lost the battle and will have to swallow their pride and face the reality.
Ichie Anslem Njoku also affirmed the pronouncement of Senator Mbata, that the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State chapter is Chief Solomon Aguene.
He stated that the decision of Senator Mbata was in the right direction based on the valid Lagos State High Court judgment that pronounced Chief Aguene as president.
He explained that Mbata told Chief Ossai’s group that in the eyes of the law, Chief Aguene is the recognized President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State and he can only appeal and vacate the judgment if he actually wants to be President.
He stated that Senator Mbata told Chief Ossai and his group, which he was a member, that the judgement of any Court supercedes the constitution of Ohanaeze, which is a sociocultural organization.
He advised the two parties to emulate the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos by coming together to make peace for the interest of Ndigbo in Lagos State. He also advised Chief Ossai’s group to accept the reality and if they don’t want to accept, they should appeal the judgment and vacate it. He noted that both Ossai and Aguene’s tenure will elapse by the middle of 2026 and fresh election will be conducted for new executives.
The fate of some prominent members of the group, Chief Evaristus Ozonweke (Onowu) Prince Ubochi C. Ubochi, Chief Robert Obasi, Eze Chris Offia, Eze Uche Dimgba and others are not yet known because they have kept silent and gone underground since the pronouncement by Ichie Njoku and Senator John Mbata.
However, there is succour from the president, Chief Solomon Aguene, who has expressed his commitment to unite all the Igbo in the State. He explained that it is not a winner takes all, stating that he has extended olive branch to them to come back and contribute their quota in Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the State.
Aguene assured the group that he will not victimize any Igbo including Ossai’s group and encouraged them to come back now that he has constituted an electoral committee headed by Chief Oliver Akubueze (Miri) as the Chairman.