John Azuta-Mbata, a former senator, has been elected as the new president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the prominent Igbo socio-cultural organization.

Azuta-Mbata, who represented Rivers East Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate from 1999 to 2007, was elected during a meeting held in Enugu State on Friday. Alongside him, other executives were also elected to oversee the organization’s affairs for the next four years.

Azuta-Mbata succeeds Fidelis Chukwu, an Imo State native, who had been serving as president-general since December 2024. Chukwu had completed the tenure of Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who passed away on July 25, 2024.

Iwuanyanwu, a prominent figure from Imo State, assumed the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo following the death of George Obiozor in 2022. Both Iwuanyanwu and Obiozor were also from Imo State.

The presidency of Ohanaeze Ndigbo rotates among the states in the South-East and Rivers State. The current turn to lead falls to Rivers State, paving the way for Azuta-Mbata’s election.

Born in January 1960, John Azuta-Mbata holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State. During his time in the Senate, he served on several key committees, including Defence, Works and Housing, Women Affairs, Finance and Appropriation, and Information.

In 2005, Azuta-Mbata, alongside two other lawmakers, was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged N55 million budget bribe scandal. However, in 2019, after 14 years of legal proceedings, the case was dismissed.

S.E. Aladetoyinbo of the Abuja High Court ruled that the ICPC’s case lacked sufficient witnesses to prosecute the charge, leading to the discharge of Azuta-Mbata and his co-defendants.

With his election as the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Azuta-Mbata steps into a pivotal role in championing the interests of the Igbo people across Nigeria and beyond.