Ohanaeze Election: Who Is Next President-General?

The tenure of Chief Nnia Nwodo (jnr) as the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide will end next year after an election scheduled for January. The rule of the presidency of Ohanaeze is that it rotates among the Igbo-speaking states.

The exalted position has now been zoned to Imo State and the state has been asked to produce Chief Nwodo’s successor.

There is no agreement yet on a consensus candidate despite a push for one by some prominent Igbo leaders, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State, who is spearheading the emergence of Professor George Obiozor as the new President-General of Ohanaeze.

Kalu has justified his campaign for Obiozor, saying Ohanaeze requires a leader who is not a partisan politician. But obviously,not all have agreed with him and Chief Nwodo has decided to throw the field open for all candidates interested in leading the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization.

Chief Nwodo’s outspokenness, energy and dexterity have become the trademark of the apex Igbo cultural group, a reason many think he had become too politically partisan.

But his supporters say such characterization of the man was unfair since there was an agreement within  Ohanaeze Ime-Obi that any candidate who advocated restructuring Nigeria would be its presidential candidate, and that is what he had done since becoming president-general.

Findings by THE WHISTLER show that there are currently five aspirants to the Ohanaeze presidency from Imo State. They are Dr Joe Nwaorgu, Prof George Obiozor, Prof Chidi Osuagwu, Chief Goddy Uwazurike and Dr Chris Asoluka.

All the aspirants are more like technocrats, rather than politicians. How they would manage the complexities of the Nigerian politics with their academic prowess would be the concern of the electoral college during the January 2021 elections.

We bring you the profile of the aspirants.

Prof George Obiozor

Prof George Obiozor, born August 15, 1942, is a diplomat. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 1969, and from Columbia University with a Ph.D. in International Affairs.

He served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States (2004 – 2008). Aside the US, he was also Nigeria’s high commissioner to Cyprus, and later to Israel, from 1999 to 2003.

Prof Obiozor was once the director-general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. His most quoted quote is that, “Politics is a concentric series of conspiracies in which the last party to conspire emerges victorious.”

Dr Joe Nworgu

Dr Joe Nwaorgu holds a doctorate degree in estate management from the University of Cambridge. An alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Dr Nworgu also lectured from 1974 to 1984 at the UNN, before joining the Federal Civil Service where he rose to the position of director, Department of Estates, Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja.

He retired in 1988, and set up a private firm where he became the principal consultant of Joe Nwaorgu and Associates, Estate Surveyors and Valuers.

He later served as commissioner for works, housing and transport in Imo State from 1994 to 1996. It was during his era that Imo Airport became a reality, having served as the chairman of the task force in the completion of the project in 1994.

Dr Nwaorgu served the Ohanaeze Ndigbo as deputy secretary general (2000-2004), and later as secretary general. He is a member of Ohanaeze Ime-Obi (the highest decision-making organ of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo) since 2002. He also chaired the national organising committee of the Igbo Day celebrations in 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He also served in the Ohanaeze Planning and Strategy Committee from 2004 to 2007, serving as the committee’s secretary during its first four years.

He was described during a merit award ceremony of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association in 1998 as ‘brutally honest, fearless, self-confident, contented, articulate, clear-headed and fair-minded, kind to a fault, very compassionate…’.

Dr Joe Nworgu was prominent in the ASUU politics where he once served as the body’s secretary.

Professor Chidi Osuagwu

Prof Chidi Osuagwu, a former chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Imo State Chapter between 2007 and 2009, lectured at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

He is a professor of biochemistry. His doctoral thesis entitled, “Blood Redox Changes in Sickle Cell Disease”, is among the famous researches in the sickle cell. Aside the health sector, Professor Osuagwu has written some books aimed at moving the Igbo race forward. One of them, Truth and Chaos, is a masterpiece on the Igbo race.

Dr Chris Asoluka

Dr Chris Chigoziri Asoluka holds two bachelor’s degrees in political science and law (Universities of Ibadan and London.); multiple master’s degrees in international economic relations (University of Lagos); shipping economics/finance and international trade (CASS Business School), and a Ph.D. in policy analysis (University of Ibadan).

He is the executive vice chairman/CEO, Nipal Consulting Network, a multidisciplinary international firm. He was elected honourable member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives and deputy chairman of Committee on Appropriations, National Assembly (NASS) in 1992, and leader of the Bipartisan Caucus of NASS.

He was also a commissioner for finance and economic development, Imo State; and chairman, Committee of Finance Commissioners in Nigeria, 1994 – 1996.

In the Igbo hierarchy, he was elected foundation secretary general, Aka Ikenga, 1988/1990; president of Aka Ikenga, 2004 -2008 – he spearheaded the closing of ranks among Ndigbo in Delta, Rivers and the Southeast states, giving birth to the Asaba Ndigbo Leadership Retreat and similar activities jointly hosted by Ohanaeze and Aka Ikenga.

He was vice chairman under Justice Oputa-led Imo State Transition Committee and chairman, Technical Committee on the New Face of Imo State, 2007. He coordinated the 2009 Ahiajoku lecture in honour of Professor Chinua Achebe in celebration of 50 years of Things Fall Apart.

He was later elected national vice president general (Imo), Ohanaeze Ndigbo 2009-2013, where he headed several NEC committees, including the Election Committee, 2012/13; and member Election Committee of Ohanaeze, 2016/17, which conducted the electoral process that led to the emergence of the Nwodo-led NEC/Ohanaeze.

Chief Godwin Uwazurike

Chief Godwin Anayo Uwazurike is a successful lawyer who has made positive impact and contribution to the development of law in Nigeria . He studied at Imo State University Law Faculty, then at Aba Campus from 1984 to 1985, and later transferred to the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus in 1985. He was called to the Bar on 14 December, 1989. He currently heads Uwazurike & Associates.

He is an executive member of Aka Ikenga, and secretary general of Aka Ikenga in 2002. He was also the Imo State coordinator, Southeast/Southsouth Professionals.