Rotation of Ohanaeze President General sacrosanct — Youth Wing

Ahead of the general election of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in early 2025, the youth wing of the organisation has declared that there is no going back on having the President General from Rivers State.

The Ohanaeze youth wing said this was in line with the established rotational principle of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

Newspot reports that the last occupier of the position was the late Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

It is the stand of the youth wing that, following in that alphabetical order, Rivers State is in line to produce the next President General.

In a communiqué issued on Thursday after their 57th National Executive Committee meeting held at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo National Secretariat in Enugu and signed by the National President of the youth wing, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, the group called on Ime Obi, the highest decision-making body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to strictly adhere to the regulations to avert potential crises within the organisation.

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The youth wing emphasised that the rotational arrangement was essential for maintaining unity and fairness and argued that deviation from the principle could lead to discord and undermine the collective strength of Ndigbo.

“We stand firmly by the provisions of the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the rotation of the Office of the President General.

“Therefore, it is the turn of Igbo in Rivers State to produce the next President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, after Imo State.

“This provision is sacrosanct and any attempt of compromise shall be met with stiff resistance.

“We, therefore, urge other organs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and limited to the Ime Obi, Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at State and LGA, Council of Ndi Eze, Elders Council and the Women Wing to rise to the occasion and provide leadership for Ndigbo at this crucial moment,” he said.

They commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the South East governors for the resounding and befitting funeral accorded to the late Chief Iwuanyanwu.

The youth group expressed concern about the continuous suffering of Nigerians as a result of the high cost of energy and other related commodities.

On the resumption of operation by the Port Harcourt Refinery, the group bemoaned what it called “the conscious and continuous disenfranchisement of Igbo youths from the various corporate social responsibilities by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPCL and other federal parastatals.”

It called for an end to such ill-treatment, stressing that “this shall accord us a sense of belonging to contribute immensely to national unity and security in the South East and Nigeria at large.”