By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The President General (PG) 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 extended warm congratulations to Senator John Azuta-Mbata, the newly-elected President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The felicitation, laden with optimism and calls for unity, was delivered through a press statement signed and made available to newsmen on Sunday, January 19, 2025, by the ICA PG.
Engr. Ezenekwe, who also goes by the title Agbachikala Nanka, praised the Ohanaeze Ndigbo for conducting an election that reflected collective Igbo unity and highlighted the exceptional qualifications of Senator Azuta-Mbata, whom he described as a leader with an impressive track record.
“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,” the statement read in part.
The ICA President General also called on the Igbo-speaking people of Rivers State, the home state of Senator Azuta-Mbata, to rally around their son and support him as he embarks on this historic journey to lead and unite the Igbo people globally.
Reflecting on the historical journey of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Engr. 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.
However, he also used the opportunity to address rising tensions within the Ikwerre community of Rivers State, Senator Azuta-Mbata’s home community. 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.
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.
In a show of unalloyed supports, the ICA President General, Agbachikara Nanka, 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.
Engr. Ezenekwe’s congratulatory message has been widely described not just as a commendation of Senator Azuta-Mbata’s emergence but also a rallying cry for unity, collective responsibility, and a renewed commitment to the values that have sustained the Igbo people through history. A number of Ndị Igbo in Abuja have also described it as re-echoing a broader call to action, urging Ndị Igbo to stand together as one people, regardless of their geographical location.
According to them, with the support of leaders like Engr. Ezenekwe, ICA, and the commitment of Igbo communities across Nigeria and beyond, Senator Azuta-Mbata’s tenure promises to usher in a new era of progress and inclusivity for the Igbo nation.
