KINGSLEY EBERE
The leadership crisis in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State has deepened over court cases and the Fact-Finding Committee.
In three days, four developments have emerged – the Electoral Committee Chairman withdrew from court cases over the April 6, 2026 election, a member of the committee challenged the withdrawal, a faction boycotted the Fact-Finding Committee, and a supporter of Onowu Ozonweke Everest said the attacks are promoting him.
The Chairman of the State Electoral Committee, Mr. Cally Odoemenam, has formally announced his withdrawal from the court cases relating to the April 6, 2026 election.
In a letter dated November 8, 2026, addressed to Chuks Nnalugha & Co, Mr. Odoemenam stated that his decision followed consultations with principal members of his electoral committee.
The letter read in part: “This is to notify you that I, Cally Odoemenam, the State Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos Electoral Committee, after due consultation with my principal committee members do hereby, withdraw from the court cases in respect of the Ohanaeze election which we conducted on April 6, 2026.”
The election, conducted on April 6, 2026, produced Chief Leonard Okafor (Oba Ojoto) as President, alongside other elected executives.
More significantly, Mr. Odoemenam acknowledged that the conduct of the election on April 6 was in error, following the discovery that it violated a subsisting court order.
“Furthermore, it has been brought to our attention that the conduct of the election on April 6, 2026 was in error as it violated a subsisting order by a court,” the letter added.
Copies were forwarded to Senator John A. Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and the General Election Committee in Enugu.
While the withdrawal does not, by itself, determine the legal status of the election, the acknowledgment is a significant development.
In a swift reaction, a member of the Electoral Committee, Rev. Paul Eze, has challenged the withdrawal, describing it as a serious procedural misconduct.
In a letter to Mr. Cally, titled “RE: Your Request to Withdraw Your Sworn Court Submission – A Serious Procedural Misconduct”, Rev. Eze said he received the withdrawal letter with shock.
He said: “A court of law is not a private room that one enters and exits at will. Once you have made a sworn submission and tendered documents under oath, you cannot unilaterally withdraw it by writing to a party. Only the court can decide on such application.”
Rev. Eze further alleged that Mr. Odoemenam signed conflicting documents bearing different dates for the same election, and that the conflicting documents are already before the court.
“Your attempt to now withdraw your confirmation after these discrepancies were highlighted raises serious questions of credibility and, prima facie, forgery,” he said.
He added that as a fellow member of the committee, he is aggrieved by the conduct which brings the entire committee to public ridicule.
“We will be bringing your request and the conflicting documents to the attention of the court for its proper consideration,” Rev. Eze said.
As at the time of filing this report, Mr. Odoemenam has yet to respond to the allegations raised by Rev. Eze. The allegations remain claims by Rev. Eze and have not been determined by the court.
One day after, on November 9, 2026, a faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, led by Secretary, Comrade Mike Orji, boycotted the purported Fact-Finding Committee.
In a letter to President General Senator Azuka Mbata, through the General Executive Council, GEC, the faction said it outrightly rejects the composition of the committee, which it alleged was purportedly constituted by Mr. Everest Ozonweke.
The faction described Mr. Ozonweke as a suspended member, and alleged that the committee was constituted unilaterally by one man who handpicked only his friends and associates.
The faction also complained that the committee excluded Ndi Ndu, Ndi Eze, former Presidents of Ohanaeze Lagos State, and members of the Elders Council.
“Any committee that excludes Ndi Ndu, Ndi Eze, Former Presidents and Elders Council is not a Fact-Finding Committee. It is a kangaroo committee,” the letter said.
The faction demanded that the purported committee be dissolved with immediate effect, and that a new, balanced committee be reconstituted by the President General and the GEC, with members from Ndi Ndu, Ndi Eze, Former Presidents, Elders Council, and neutral stakeholders.
In a rejoinder titled “The Unintended Promotion Of Onowu Ozonweke Everest By His Distractors”, Apostle Patrick A. Nwanze, JP (Agu-Anioma), has defended Onowu Ozonweke Everest and faulted the claim that he constituted the committee.
According to Apostle Nwanze, there is an irony in the persistent attacks against Onowu Ozonweke Everest, as those who think they are diminishing his relevance may actually be promoting him unknowingly.
He described as a ridiculous misrepresentation, the attempt to attribute the National Fact-Finding Committee constituted by the GEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, under the leadership of President-General Senator John Azuta-Mbata, to Onowu Ozonweke Everest.
“How can a committee established by the national leadership suddenly become the personal creation of an individual? More surprising is that even a legal practitioner is reportedly promoting this false narrative,” he said.
He added: “Whatever the motive, they should understand that every attack, false report and negative publication only keeps his name in public conversation. Sometimes, the greatest promoters of a man are his enemies. While they are busy trying to pull him down, they may unknowingly be building his public profile.”
He concluded: “The lesson is simple: Facts matter, institutions deserve respect, and persistent attacks cannot replace truth.”
Something links the four. The link is clear. The Electoral Chairman says the April 6 election was in error because it violated a court order. A member of his committee says the withdrawal itself is procedurally wrong and the conflicting documents must be left for the court to decide. The faction says any committee that will look into the crisis must be neutral and must include elders. The supporter says the committee was constituted by the national GEC, not by Ozonweke, and the attacks are only promoting him.
The development is coming days after the State Executive Council, SEC, on November 2, 2026, announced the cancellation of the Oto-Awori LGA election and the suspension of further LGA/LCDA elections across the 57 LGAs and LCDAs, to allow for complete inclusion and lasting peace.
The attention now shifts to the national leadership and the courts to address the outstanding issues in accordance with the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the rule of law.
As at the time of filing this report, Chief Leonard Okafor, Mr. Everest Ozonweke and Mr. Cally Odoemenam had yet to issue further official responses, beyond the documents quoted above. This platform will update the story with their reactions when received.