BREAKING: More Rivers Indigenes Join Race for Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General

In anticipation of the January 10, 2025 election for the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the electoral committee has announced an increase in aspirants from Rivers State vying for the position of President General.

The position of President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been zoned to the Igbo-speaking regions of Rivers State, in accordance with the organisation’s constitution.

Briefing journalists in Enugu on Sunday, Chief Ejiofor Onyia, the chairman of the Ohanaeze electoral committee, outlined the preparations and confirmed the committee’s commitment to conducting elections at the national, state, and local government levels.

Chief Onyia revealed that the election of the 17-member national executive will take place at the organisation’s headquarters in Enugu. Meanwhile, elections at the state and local government levels will be managed by committee members assigned to each region.

The committee chairman noted that elections at the state and local levels will commence on January 7. He clarified that there will be no ballot papers; instead, the elections will utilise the Option A4 method, which will allow for greater visibility during the process. In this system, all verified candidates will be positioned prominently, and delegates from various states will line up behind their preferred candidates.

Without disclosing identities, Chief Onyia indicated that two prominent figures from Rivers State had already picked up nomination forms for the President General position. He urged the states to elect individuals of integrity at all levels to ensure that credible leaders are chosen to guide Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“What we ask of our people is to present us with quality candidates—men and women who genuinely care for Igboland, who are willing to sacrifice, and who will help transform Ohanaeze into a true representative of the Igbo people in all spheres of life.

“We appeal to our men and women, both at home and in the diaspora, to support Ohanaeze. The organisation possesses the credibility and reach necessary, and only through our full backing can the Igbo man reclaim his rightful position within the politics of this country.

“However, if we continue to fight amongst ourselves and foster unnecessary misunderstandings, we do ourselves a great disservice,” Onyia added.

He noted that interest in the President General position is rising, stating, “Many individuals have expressed interest in the role from Rivers State. As far as I know, at least two have collected nomination forms, but this number may have risen to three or five. Clearly, there is significant enthusiasm.”

He assured of a level playing field for all the candidates in the election and urged credible Igbo sons and daughters to put themselves forward for election.

The electoral committee also refuted as false reports claiming that the nomination form for the President General position costs one million naira. They clarified that the fee remains the same as in 2021: 500,000 naira for President General, 400,000 naira for Deputy President General, 300,000 naira for Secretary General, 250,000 naira for Vice President General, and 100,000 naira for other positions.

At the state level, the form for the Chairman position costs 100,000 naira, with the Vice Chairman and Secretary priced at 70,000 naira. Other positions are set at 30,000 naira.

At the local government level, the Chairman’s form costs 50,000 naira, while the Vice Chairman and Secretary are 30,000 naira each; other positions are 20,000 naira.