Victor EzejaFew days to the ratification of the appointment of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the President General of Ohaneze ndi Igbo worldwide, fresh crisis has hit the organisation, as a former contestant, Dr Valentine Oparaocha, has rejected it, saying that provisions of the constitution was not followed.
Oparaocha, who is the President General of Igbo community in Minna, Niger State, said the constitution of Ohanaeze stipulates that whoever becomes the President-General must emerge through an election that involves contestants. He pointed out that the process was not followed in the case of the emergence of Chief Iwuanyanwu.
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It would be recalled that Oparaocha was one of the contestants to the seat of the President-General in the last election that produced the former leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the late Chief George Obiozor.
Obiozor was elected in January 2021 but died in December 2022, warranting a replacement.
Iwuanyawu was last week announced as the new Ohanaeze President-General after being presented to the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who congratulated him on the appointment.
However, Oparaocha has come out to strongly condemn the appointment.
He said that not only did Iwuanyanwu not emerge through an election, but he is above the age stipulated in the group’s constitution.
According to him, the constitution stated that the President General should be between the ages of 50 and 70 years old but Iwuanyanwu is 80.
“The constitution of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo provided that the President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo should be elected through a contested election and also by rotation, among the seven Igbo speaking States of southern Nigeria. The same constitution stated that the President General should be between the ages of 50 and 70 years old.
“By rotation, it is the turn of Imo State indigenes to produce the president General from 2021 to 2025. It is still the turn of Imo State to replace Obiozor till 2025. But this must be by election,” he insisted.
He recalled that when the election that produced Obiozor as the leader was conducted, 18 indigenes of Imo State indicated interest but only six persons (including him) bought forms and contested and he came second after the voting.
Oparaocha argued that to replace Obiozor as Imo State still has the mandate according to the rotation agreement, the state’s council of elders ought to have conducted an election among those that bought forms; who were screened and qualified, to fulfill the constitutional requirement, not going to pick someone else.
“The constitution is still there. Those who bought forms and contested with Obiozor are still there. Rather than looking for already screened candidates, who bought forms and are equally qualified for the job, you have selected another elder, (80yrs old), far above the constitutional requirements, to spite the younger people.
“The Imo State government has no business selecting President General for Ohaneze ndi Igbo and the Ezes and the Imo people alone cannot choose who the President General becomes.
“Chief Iwuanyanwu can win election; why the selection? This is setting bad precedence which is capable of breaking Ohaneze further. It is unconstitutional and it is illegal,” he argued.
He further claimed that he is the rightful person to occupy the position.
“I am the rightful President General if justice is to be done. If not, let there be another election to elect President-General, please,” he stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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