The President General of all Igbo-speaking people in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, under the umbrella of Igbo Community Association, ICA, Engr. Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe, has urged the Ikwere people of Rivers State to rally round the new Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Senator Azuta-Mbata.

Ezenekwe, who said this in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Monday, praised the Ohanaeze Ndigbo for conducting an election that reflected collective Igbo unity.

There has been disquiet in Ikwere since Azuta-Mbata’s emergence, with some of the indigenes attacking him for accepting the role.

However, Ezenekwe used the opportunity to address rising tensions, cautioning against division.

He urged the Ikwerre people to foster a harmonious atmosphere for the new Ohanaeze leader.

“Ikwere is Igbo. It has always been Igbo, and will remain Igbo. We are together and we speak the same language. No more divisions within us,” Ezenekwe declared, emphasizing the need for solidarity among all Igbo-speaking communities.

On the outcome of the election, he said, “We, Ndị Igbo in Abuja, are very pleased and delighted with the outcome of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo national election.

“It shows that we are together in unison, and that whether we find ourselves in Rivers, Delta, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu, or Anambra States, we remain together as one family of Igbo-speaking people.”

Reflecting on the historical journey of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ezenekwe traced its origins back to the 1930s when it was established in Lagos under the name Lagos Igbo Union.

He recounted its transformation into the Igbo State Union in 1948 during a conference in Port Harcourt, with the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as its first President General.

He noted further developments over the decades, culminating in the renaming of the organization as Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 1979, under the leadership of Dr. Francis Akanu from Afikpo, Ebonyi State.

Ezenekwe emphasized that the roots of Ohanaeze Ndigbo embody unity, resilience, and a shared commitment to advancing the cause of the Igbo people.

According to him, as the newly-elected Ohanaeze leader steps into his role, all eyes will be on how he steers the challenges and opportunities ahead in uniting and advancing the interests of the Igbo people worldwide.

He pledged the full backing of the Igbo Community Association in Abuja for the new Ohanaeze leadership. He highlighted the strategic importance of the ICA’s grassroots network of over 78 units spread across the FCT in bolstering the new administration’s efforts.

“As the President General of Ndigbo in the Federal Capital Territory under the auspices of ICA, I and the ICA have pledged to support and cooperate with the new leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“We will draw on our grassroots strength to support the new leadership. Igbo Community Association in Abuja understands the need to be united against odds staked against the Igbos,” he affirmed.

Ohanaeze: Rally round Azuta-Mbata – Ezenekwe to Ikwere people