OHANEZE Ndigbo, a Pan-Igbo Cultural Organization, on Saturday in Enugu elected new executives to pilot its affairs for the next four years.
In the election that lasted for about eight hours, Chief Enwo Igariwey, a former Deputy President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo and Dr Joe Nwaorgu emerged as the President General and Secretary General respectively.
Igariwey, representing Ebony, was returned unopposed after his opponents, also from the same state, stepped down for him. Nworgu, representing Imo, won the post of the Secretary-General after defeating his opponent, Chief Peter Orji, also from Imo, by 211 votes to 48 votes.
Other members of the executive are Mr Innocent Wonwu from Rivers and Mrs Selina Adibuah, who were returned unopposed as the Deputy Secretary General and National Financial Secretary, respectively.
In an interview, Igariwey pledged an all inclusive leadership for the organisation and called for support from NdIgbo to achieve the objectives of the organisation.
“I thank God for today’s election, it was peaceful and I promise to carry everybody along during my tenure,’’ Igariwey said.
Earlier, the outgoing President General, Amb. Ralph Uwechue, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the elections. Uwechue called on the new executive to improve on the records of their predecessors to move the group forward. The new Financial Secretary, Adibuah, decried the low involvement of women in the organisation’s affairs.
“It is unfortunate that politics has spoilt our women. They only attend political gatherings, where they will get benefits or where money will be shared. They no longer come for elections like this to support their fellow women,’’ she said.
Other members of the organization also lauded the peaceful conduct of the election and urged the new executive not to disappoint the people. Officers of State Security Service the police and Federal Road Safety Commission provided security at the venue of the elections.