A former National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in South-East, Chief Fidelis Chukwu, has emerged as the 12th President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, after the demise of,Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, on July 25, 2024 after a protracted illness
Penpushing reports that the spokesperson of the Igbo socio-cultural organization, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, in a statement said the new President-General emerged at Imeobi Ohanaeze’s meeting on Saturday in Enugu.
The statement explained that Chukwu emerged as a result of a chain of catastrophe which befell Ohanaeze with the deaths of former President-Generals of the group, George Obiozor and Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu between 2022 and 2024.
Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that the people of Imo State had presented late Iwuanyanwu to Imeobi Ohanaeze to complete the tenure of Imo State and Obiozor, who hailed from the state.
“By the application of a doctrine of necessity, Iwuanyanwu was sworn-in on April 30, 2023. Unfortunately, Chief Iwuanyanwu died on July 25, 2024 and was buried on November 1, 2024’, the statement said.
“It is in line with the doctrine of necessity that the Imo State Chapter of Ohanaeze, led by Barrister C.J Ihemedu presented Nze Ozichukwu to the Imeobi Ohanaeze to exhaust the balance of four-year tenure allotted to Imo State’, it added.
Penpushing also reports that Ogbonnia explained that the Chairman of Imo Council of Elders, Cletus Ilomuanya, moved motion for the adoption of Chukwu as the new President-General which was supported by Simon Okeke.
The spokesperson of the Igbo socio-cultural organization, stated that the motion was adopted through a voice vote, and in communique issued after the meeting it said the body has resolved that its next President-general will come from Rivers State.
Penpushing reports that the communique jointly signed by Ogbonnia and the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okey Emuchay added that the Imeobi Ohanaeze equally resolved that the composition of both election and screening committees for the forthcoming Ohanaeze election will be carried out by the group’s National Executive Committee.
Those in attendance at the event include Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Presidents of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Rivers States, while others were Abia South Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, former All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) National Chairperson, Chekwas Okorie, former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, and a former Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo.
Penpushing further reports that, the Governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidi Onyia, urged the new President-General to ensure that the forthcoming Ohanaeze election was both transparent and credible.
The position of President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo rotates among seven Igbo-speaking states in South-East and South-South Nigeria, while the South-East has five states namely, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo while the South-South region has two states which are Rivers and Delta States.
Penpushing also reports that each state is to produce the President-General of Ohanaeze who would serve for a single tenure of four years, according to an existing zoning arrangement of the Igbo group,and a state which does not complete its tenure as a result of the death or resignation of the incumbent President-General is permitted to nominate another to complete such tenure subject to ratification by the Imeobi Ohanaeze.
Meanwhile, supporters of Chukwu’s emergence argued that it is the prerogative right of Imo State to nominate a new President-General of the group to complete the remaining 27 days of Iwuanyanwu’s four years tenure to complete the turn of the Imo State which ends on January 10,2025.
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