Ohaneze addresses alleged leadership tussle to replace Iwuanyanwu

The Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-political organisation, has denied reports of leadership tussle within it to replace its departed President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

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The association’s president in Ebonyi, Dr Peter Mbam, disclosed this during the official opening of a condolence register in honour of the late statesman in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

Mbam said the organisation was still mourning its national head and therefore, described any report of leadership tussle as false.

“We are waiting for the bereaved family and the Imo Government to announce the burial plans, which we would participate actively.

“It is after the burial that the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Imeobi (inner circle) of the association would meet and agree on how to find a replacement for him,” he said.

He described Iwuanyanwu as a colossus, whose leadership qualities would be missed by the organisation and Igbos in general.

“He told us we needed to support the winner of the 2023 general elections despite the fact that the Igbo man who contested did not win.

“When the hunger protest issue was mulled, he advised Igbos not to participate because they had been victims of such events in the past.

“We took the advice to our various states, our people listened to us and there was no protest in the Igbo states,” he said.

The Chief of Staff to the Ebonyi Governor, Prof. Emmanuel Echiegu, who first signed the condolence register, said Iwuanyanwu was a friend of Ebonyi and a great unifier of the Igbos.

“I met him personally in April when he visited Ebonyi, and though the governor had some reservations about the organisation, he made necessary clarifications.

“The governor was satisfied and obliged all his requests while he also obliged those of his host.

“He blazed the trail in all areas he ventured into – engineering, education, journalism, aviation, sports among others as Nigerians would miss him dearly,” he said.

A Vice President General of the association, Chief Okeagu Ogeada, noted that the vacuum created by Iwuanyanwu’s demise would be difficult to fill.

“He played critical roles in the development of Ebonyi, as its people and the entire Igbo race would be indebted to him.

“The state’s founding fathers held the meeting of its creation in his house despite the fact that he was not an indigene of the state.

“He delivered our requests to the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, and also played critical roles in siting the state’s capital in Abakaliki after it was created,” he said.