The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Youth Wing, led by Chukwuma Opkalaezeukwu, has congratulated Senator John Azuta Mbata on his emergence as the 13th President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The group noted that Mbata, a former Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District from 1999 to 2007, distinguished himself among other contenders due to his exemplary leadership qualities.
In a statement signed and released by the spokesman for the youth wing, Mazi Chika Art-Adiele, and made available to journalists on Sunday, the group described Mbata as a remarkable leader with outstanding character, who is proud to identify as a bona fide Igbo son from Rivers State.
The statement read, “Mazi Chukwuma Opkalaezeukwu, who was also unanimously elected on 7 January 2025 as the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Youth Wing, Anambra State Chapter, is highly optimistic that the emergence of Mazi John Azuta Mbata will usher in a sustainable and progressive developmental trajectory in Ala Igbo.”
Similarly, the National Vice Chairman of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Youth Wing, Mazi Wenceslaus Ogbonnia, described Mbata’s election as meritorious, well-deserved, and a step towards leading the Igbo people to greater heights.
“Mbata’s election is a positive development for the Igbo people. It reflects the collective aspiration to support a competent and full-blooded Igbo son of Ikwerre extraction, who is widely accepted by the Igbo community in Rivers State,” the statement added.
The youth wing also expressed prayers for Senator Mbata’s good health, enabling him to fulfil his mandate and uphold the legacies of forebears like the late Senator Obi Wali, Chief Emmanuel Aguma, Chief Jackson Mpi, and HRM Eze C.C. Nwuche.