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Chief Solomon Ogbonna, the court consent president of Lagos State Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that Senator John Azuta-Mbata, the president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has recognized him as the “authentic and recognized and legitimate president of Lagos Ohanaeze”.
Ogbonna stated that Mbata made the declaration after listening to presentations by him and Chief Sunday Ossai at a meeting in Lagos on 28th August 2025.
Ogbonna asserted that Mbata urged every member of the organization to recognize his presidency until his tenure expires in June 2026.
When Daily Independent asked Ogbonna to substantiate his claims, he handed the phone to Igo Okparanma, the chief of staff to Mbata, who corroborated everything that Ogbonna said.
According to Okparanma, Mbata declared that “Ogbonna is authentic and legal president of Lagos Ohanaeze recognized by the National Executive Committee in Enugu until next year.”
However, Prince Ubochi C. Ubochi, the spokesperson to Chief Sunday Ossai, president, Ohanaeze, Lagos, who was present at the event, gave a different version of what transpired at the meeting.
Ubochi said that Okparanma was not in the meeting and was in the position to give an account of what took place.
Ubochi stated that Ogbonna appealed to Mbata to dissolve his own executive and that of Ossai and allow NEC to conduct new elections to fill the all the positions in organization. He said that Ossai rejected appeal and the president general said that it would set a dangerous precedent to allow NEC to organize a fresh election before the tenure of the current executive expires.
When asked to explain, Ubochi explained it meant Ossai is the elected president and the court case filed by him will clarify all ambiguities.
Ubochi said that after listening to Ossai, Mbata said that it would set a dangerous precedent to allow Enugu NEC to organize a fresh election before the tenure of the current executive expires in April 2026.
Ubochi disclosed that during the joint session, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide further clarified to Solomon Ogbonna that his proposal to dissolve all structures had been rejected, and that the status quo would remain until the courts issue a clear directive.