Much ado about Mbata’s emergence as Ohanaeze Ndigbo PG in Rivers

The emergence of Senator John Mbata as the President General (PG) of OhanaezeNdigbo is causing controversy in Rivers State, as some Ikwere groups have threatened to embark on a mass protest against the development. ANN GODWIN examines the issues at stake and their likely implications.

Intense wrangling is brewing-up in Rivers State over the emergence of Senator John Azuta Mbata as the President-General of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, OhanaezeNdigbo Worldwide.  There has been rising squabbles among the Ikweres since Mbata’s emergence as the leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; and the conflict exacerbates on a daily basis. The problem borders on identity politics, issues of separation and exclusion.

Some residents and members of Ohanaeze in the state have insisted that Mbata’s emergence was politically orchestrated in preparation for the 2027 general election. They alleged that South-East governors and also Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State who supported his candidacy have ulterior motives. They argued that he (Mbata) had no business entering the contest for the position of president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo because he had never identified with the group or contributed to the advancement of its cause.

Other stakeholders of the organisation in the state, who were in Enugu for the election, have also maintained that the election that produced Mbata was illegal, arguing that it did not conform to the constitution of Ohanaeze.

Accordingly, they said Mbata’s emergence was ‘immoral’ going by the customs and traditions of Ohanaeze, which states that it is wrong to allow an alien in an organisation to lead the organisation.

Some Rivers indigenes comprising the Ekpeyes, Ndonis, Etches, Ndokis, Egbemas, Opopos, among others, admit to be Igbos while others especially the Ikwere ethnic nationality, known as the Iwhuruohna, comprising Ikwerre (Kelga), Emohua (Emolga), Obio-Akpor (Obalga), and Port Harcourt City (Phalga) local councils distance themselves from claims that they are Igbos and trace their root to the Ancient Benin Kingdom.

Consequently, Ikwere groups including the Concerned Youths of Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality and the Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM) have threatened to stage mass protests on January 17, 2025, in Port Harcourt and Abuja, against what they described as alleged attempts to annex the Ikwerres as Igbo people.

While Ikwere youths warned Mbata against dragging Ikwere people into his personal ambition, declaring that he does not have their support to occupy his elevated position, the Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the new President-General to resign from his position.

The groups claimed that the Ikwerres are not Igbo people and therefore, Mbata is on his own.

The leader of Concerned Ikwere Youths, John Ihua, maintained that the Ikweres had no hand in Mbata’s emergence, saying he (Mbata) is on his own.

He added that the youth of Ikwerre are not happy with the controversy the emergence of Mbata has brought to Ikwere land.

He said: “The Ikwere people are not Igbo people; the foundation was laid from the beginning and it is explicit.  Whatever Mbata is doing is not our business.  He should not drag Ikwere people to his personal interest.”

Similarly, the Director General of Rivers Restoration Movement, Johnson George, and Secretary, Mrs. Sarima Akpata, alleged that the emergence of Mbata is a surreptitious attempt by the Igbos to annex Rivers State.

The group also criticized Fubara for congratulating Mbata, threatening to organise peaceful protests in Rivers, Abuja, and all United Nations facilities to express their displeasure over the development.

Some residents of the state have also expressed their views on the development.

For instance, Jackson Ordu, an Ikwere indigene said: “Eneka is not Igbo; Mbata is on his own.”

Another Ikwere indigene, Bright Obi, said: “Mbata is on his own. Ikwerre people are not Igbos.”

Nevertheless, Governor Fubara hailed the emergence of the former lawmaker that represented Rivers East Senatorial District at the National Assembly as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Fubara said that Mbata’s victory at the group’s election in Enugu is a testament to his wide acceptance across the aisle as an accomplished Nigerian whose test of character and integrity is exemplary.

Fubara extended his best wishes to Mbata, assuring him of the readiness of his administration to work with him.

A Professor of Sociology of Development at the University of Port Harcourt, Steve Wordu, who was to join the Ohanaeze presidential race but did not due to the uproar within Ohanaeze and among the Ikweres, told The Guardian that by all anthropological indicators, Ikwere people are Igbos. He, however, maintained that Mbata had never associated with Ohanaeze, hence he had no right to join the leadership contest. Wordu said the issue was “politicised”, adding that his greatest fear is that Mbata’s emergence may provoke an Ikwere versus Ikwere crisis in Rivers State. According to him, some persons feel neglected despite identifying with Ohanaeze Ndigbo consistently.

“A person like Uche Okwukwu has been the Ikwere person consistent in identifying with Ohanaeze. Many Ikwere groups ostracised and attacked him yet he remained firm,” Wordu said.

As the controversies over the emergence of a Rivers indigene as the president-general of Ohanaeze rage, former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, has maintained silence. But he has never shown any interest in the group nor associated with it.

Meanwhile, a parallel president of the body, who also hails from Rivers, Omenazu Jackson, has accused Fubara of backing an individual who has no trace with the apex Igbo socio-cultural group.

Jackson said the purported backing by Fubara and other South-East governors may have been secured as part of their strategies towards the 2027 elections, warning that no ‘illegality’ stands the test of time.

Jackson, who served as the chairman of Ohanaeze in Rivers and Bayelsa states for 15 years, said: “The outcome of the Ohanaeze election is sad. But if they (governors) feel they will use the umbrella of Ohanaeze against the 2027 elections, it won’t work because you cannot achieve results through political brigandage.
“What played out will certainly affect the unity of Ohanaeze in Rivers because I was elected President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on January 6, 2025. I was duly declared the president by a well constituted Ime Obi and General Assembly meeting held in Enugu. For some people to turn around on Friday to say they were doing another selection calls for concern.”

He added: “The masses of Igbo nation are with me; farmers who can no longer go to farm because of insecurity are with me because I have what it takes to bring security to Igbo land. The artisans, the long-suffering Igbos who the Igbo political leaders have subjected to economic misery are with me. So, I am not worried about the kangaroo selection that happened on Friday. I remain the President General of Ohanaeze Worldwide. The cabals that held Igbos hostage drafted Mbata for their selfish political reasons.”

On his part, an indigene of Eleme and a researcher, Emmanuel  Obe, said Mbata may  not be the messiah the Igbo are looking for in Nigeria, but he might just be the one to prepare the way for the new order they seek.

Obe said: “The contentious issues go beyond cultural, anthropological and linguistic factors. Indeed, these groups even share more of these factors with the Igbo than with any other socio-cultural groups. But the fact, as it is in many public conflicts in the world today, is that the fight is more political than socio-cultural. And unless these issues and fears are addressed, the dirty war will continue.

“Before now, no serious effort had been made to attend to these issues and fears. All combatants had stood their ground. This is where the story of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has entered a new phase and the face of Senator John Azuta Mbata is needed to give this body and indeed the politics of Nigeria that is ensconced in ethnocentrism a new birth.”

He urged Mbata not to be afraid, saying the support by the governments of the five South-East states, Rivers State government and even President Bola Tinubu could be leveraged to make a huge difference.

Obe tasked Mbata to usher in a new era of politics that eschews sentiments and seeks to build friendship, understanding and harmony.

It would be recalled that Mbata entered politics in the late 1980s and quickly rose to prominence, becoming the political leader of Obio/Akpor Local Council and later representing Rivers East in the Senate from 1999 to 2007.

Since 2007, his political journey seemed halted. In fact, throughout the years of former governors Chibuike Amaechi and Wike, he was out of the political scene in the state. It was not until last year when there was realignment of political forces due to Fubara’s fallout with Wike that Mbata started gaining visibility again, as he is among the politicians in the state on the side of the governor. Recently, he joined Fubara to commission some projects in the state. The Guardian learnt that a company he has interest in, Monier Construction Company Limited (MCC), was awarded the N19 billion contract for the reconstruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly that was blown up in October 2023 when members of the House of Assembly loyal to Wike attempted to impeach Fubara.

How he would handle the issues around his emergence as Ohanaeze leader to retain the respect of his kinsmen and also remain politically relevant remains to be seen.