Ohanaeze: How Governors Betrayed Mike Okiro, Selected Senator Mbata as President- Igbo Mandate Congress Report January 2025

 

Igbo Mandate Congress, a stakeholder n Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Intelligence Based   Organization, speaking against evil in Igbo lands and Nigeria, and champion of transparency in the group  in tandem with other bodies of clergy, have a point of duty to  inform stakeholders that South East Governors  betrayed former Inspector General of Police , Mike Okiro and selected Senator John Mbata as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

 

 

Igbo Mandate Congress have already released the first report by 12 pm of Friday January 10 th berating the heist that will take place at Old Governors Lodge in the name of Ohanaeze National Elections. The mischief that took place at Old Governors lodge produced Senator Azuka Mbata as President General.

 

Igbo Mandate Congress, whose members also participate in the selection, also helped in Intelligence gathering and has knowledge of all the intrigues that hoisted undemocratic governance on Ndigbo.

 

Igbo Mandate Congress wishes anybody or group to challenge its earlier assertion that  ' Governors Hijacked Ohanaeze Elections'

 

Igbo Mandate Reports came three hours to the selection at Old Governors Lodge Enugu, and we informed many aspirants to prepare for the shock of their lives.

 

 

 

At the election venue, delegates waited for hours for the governors to come, immediately four governors, Anambra, Abia, Enugu and Imo  came, an announcement was made that the Ohanaeze constitution be suspended to pave way for a consensus list.  The option A4 proposed by the Electoral Committed was jettisoned and Senator Ben Obi( Atku’s former Running Mate) and seconded by  Chief Ikedi Ohakim , former governor of Imo State, and the candidates opinion were neither sought nor considered.

 

Immediately after, some names were reeled out for the entire 17 officers to the dismay of over sixty aspirants for various positions listed at the venue. Those whose names reeled out were hurriedly marshaled to the podium and sworn in as members of the National Executives Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Few minutes later the governors left through the back door, and the rest of the people were too shocked to contemplate the ‘abracadabra “that took place.

 

 

 

The rest of the aspirants were too shocked to utter a response. Igbo Mandate Coingress wants to state categorically that what happened at the Old Governors Lodge in Enugu is not Ohanaeze Ndigbo National Elections. It is just a hand pick of select persons by governors of the South East.

 

Igbo Mandate Congress pitied the fate of Chief Mike Okiro, first Inspector General of Igbo Extraction, who as Commissioner of Police under Obasanjo Presidency and Tinubu’s Governorship dealt a big blow to criminal elements in Lagos.It was on record that Mike Okiro dealt a heavy blow to the activities of O’odua People’s Congress when they overstepped their bounds in Lagos State.

 

However, Igbo Mandate Congress was shocked that the former Chief of Police in Nigeria was conned by the five South East Governors and the Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara,

 

Igbo Mandate Congress alerted those working for Okiro that Intelligence at their disposal suggests that the five South East Governors’ have conspired to disgrace him on January 10^th. Igbo Mandate Congress gave the hint on the 6^th of January. The body gave the name of the replacement as Senator Mbata and warned that the governors will withhold, manipulate, change and hijack the delegates list till the last moment.

 

Many aspirants naively pointed to the men of integrity in both the Screening Committee and the Electoral Committee, and expressed bloated optimism, in the face of superior Intelligence that the elections will be free and fair.

 

By Thursday Evening, IMC told all the aspirants it is sponsoring to pull out of the race since the process has been completely hijacked.

 

Chief Mike Okiro from the Egbema Commnity that has joint borders with Imo and Rivers State, was already rejected by the South East Governors, according to IMC Sources for three reasons,.

 

While all the governors reportedly agreed that the former IGP is too independent minded to be tossed about. 

 

Another  governor claimed that he has a relationship with Nyemson Wike which is capable of being a double edged sword.  Another governor  yet touted  that his closeness to President Bola Tinubu is also another weapon of mass destruction.

 

Another also claimed that he solicited funds from Chief Athur Eze instead of asking them for assistance, asserting levels of financial independence. Igbo Mandate Congress will not avail anybody of which governor said what and why, however, all came with a butcher’s knife to cut Okiro to pieces.

 

The governors had the problem of breaking the bad news to Okiro that they do not want him. Some true and fake court orders were procured to give semblance that the law is against him/.

 

Some members of the Screening and Electoral Committees were informed of the plot to ease out Okiro.  Former Governor Ikedi Okakim got a court order to ensure that certain persons do not disrupt the elections. Another person, Chimenu Amadi representing a Rivers Indigenous Group got an order barring Okiro from joining the race.

 

It was an overconfident ex police Chief that came to government house to meet with state chief executives who have already decided to throw him away. They deceived him that there was a subsisting court order and that he should withdraw from the race, until it is vacated.

 

Chief Okiro initially vehemently rejected their entreaties, and vowed to fight on. According to sources close to inside arguments, Governor Hope Uzodimma , seeing an adamant Okiro,  offered  to  vacate the   court order from Owerri before 10am Friday.  Another aide to Governor Fubara told IMC that Okiro reached out to his boss by phone and Fubara promised to vacate the order from Port Harcourt end before 10am/.

 

Okiro held a press conference, announced his withdrawal from the race, but having receive assurances from two governors that they will vacate the controversial non-existent court order, reappeared for screening at Ohanaeze Secretariat by 9pm and told his followers to prepare for the elections.

 

Igbo Mandate Congress is shocked that the number one Police Officer in Nigeria during the Yar’adua era was conned by five South East Governors and Rivers State on a court order that never was.

 

Igbo Mandate Congress has nothing personal against Senator Mbata. However, Ohanaeze Ndigbio is not owned by South East Governors. Though Mbata may be a good man, the process that produced him is strange and a dangerous precedence for Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

 

At the state levels, the respective governors asked their aides to draw list of loyal persons and they were announced as Ohanaeze State Executives. 

 

The selection process and hiack by governors which started from the Chief Nnia Nwodo Era, manifested in the selection of Prof George Obiozor and his replacement Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

 

The selection processes have produced nothing for Ndigbo. Ohanaeze Ndigbo was helpless while Nnamdi Kanu is being used as judicial guinea pig  by Nigerian courts and his numerous counsels.

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo was Helpless while an Ezeigbo in Ajao Lagos,  Eze Fred Nwajiagu  was imprisoned for two years over comments of which the court of law have declared as not treasonable.

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo was helpless when FCT Minister Nyemson Wike demolished 214 acre estate worth over N50billion belonging to Senator Nicholas Ukackukwu and Synecu Group.

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo was helpless when Minister of Works Dace Umahi demolished $30 million dollar (N45 billion) d investment of at Landmark Beach Resort Lagos belonging to Paul Onwuamibe

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo was helpless when diabolic native doctors took over Igboland , sacrificing human blood for kidnappers and agitators, and desecrating South East with innocent blood.

 

 

Therefore, Igbo Mandate Congress condemns the charade that took place at Old Governors Lodge Enugu on the 10^th  of January.

 

Igbo Mandate Congress advises all enraged aspirants not to lose confidence in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, rather join hands with reformists to ensure that the Ajasco that took place in Old Governors lodge is not repeated 

 

Rev Obinna Akukwe

Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress