A High Court in Enugu has issued an interim injunction restraining Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo from entertaining the candidacy of former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, as an aspirant or contestant in the January 10 election to the office of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The order followed a motion filed by Chimenu Amadi for himself and on behalf of the Indigenous Igbos of Rivers State asking the court to restrain Okiro from contesting the Presidency of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for the fact that he’s an indigene of Imo State and only indigenes of Rivers State are eligible to aspire for the said position.
The court restrained Okiro on the grounds of ineligibility with particular reference to his state of origin pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The court also issued an interim injunction giving a go-ahead to the Nze Ozichukwu-Chukwu constituted committee to conduct the election into the office of the president general of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group slated for January 10, 2025, and also restraining some chieftains of the group from interfering or disrupting the election.
A motion filed by Aloy Ejimakor against some chieftains of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; Chidi Ibe, Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Richard Ozubu known as 5th to 7th respondents, claimed that there is a calculated bid to sow a seed of discord, disharmony, lawlessness and unrest by some elements who constituted a parallel body without lawful authority as they intend to go against the constitution of the group by throwing the contest into the president general’s office as an open and free-for-all affairs
The mode of election to the office of the president general, reportedly prescribes rotation amongst the Igbo states and Igbo-speaking people of Delta and Rivers states.
However, the court issued an interim injunction for status quo to be maintained in the matter pending the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The apex Igbo Socio,- political organisation would elect its next president-general on January 10 following the expiration of the tenure of the late Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu who died a few months ago .
He was replaced with Fidelis Ozichukwu who would preside over the affairs of the group untill January 10, 2025.
Meanwhile, the zoning of the next presidency of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo to the South South states has generated mixed feelings among ethnic groups in Rivers.
Some groups were of the opinion that it might be a ploy to foist old schemes by the Ibos on the people while some argued that an Onaneze presidency from Rivers would be a minus for the South East in terms of creation of additional states
