President Bola Tinubu has once again dipped his toes into the waters of ethnic politics, this time by congratulating Senator John Azuta-Mbata on his election as the 13th president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu showered the newly elected leader with well-wishes, praising him for taking on what he called an “onerous yet noble and lofty task.”
Senator Azuta-Mbata, a former senator representing Rivers East from 1999 to 2007, now finds himself at the leadership of the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group. His emergence as president follows the group’s leadership transition during a meeting in Enugu, and Tinubu wasted no time in acknowledging this shift. “The President also congratulates the group on the successful leadership transition and enjoins the new leaders to uphold the principles of their predecessors,” the statement read.
Tinubu didn’t stop at congratulating the new president. He went on to emphasize the role of socio-cultural organizations in nation-building, a convenient talking point that sounds good on paper but rarely translates into real action. He pledged his “commitment to promoting dialogue among our ethnic nationalities.”
The congratulatory message might sound diplomatic, but it conveniently ignores the bigger question, how will Azuta-Mbata’s leadership make any real difference for the Igbo people? The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has long been accused of being more of a political tool than a true defender of Igbo interests.
As the new Ohanaeze president settles into office, Nigerians, especially the Igbo community, should watch closely. My question is, will this leadership change lead to real advocacy for the South-East, or are is this just a mere figure head group disguised as cultural leadership?
