The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Wednesday passed a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the apex Igbo body’s President General, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, citing what they described as uninspiring and ineffective leadership.The youths accused Senator Mbata of sidelining Igbo youths and failing to provide the required leadership qualities.
They noted that since his inauguration, the three organs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo — the main body, the Youth Wing, and the Women’s Wing — have not functioned cohesively.
“We made several efforts to engage the President General and acquaint him with our programmes, but he has refused to meet with us,” the group said. “There has been no single meeting to discuss the challenges we face.
This is a sharp departure from previous leaderships that always embraced and carried Igbo youths along. We reject mediocre leadership and any action that will erode the confidence of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
”The youths further lamented that Mbata, who rose to power largely on the back of agitations by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing for a constitutionally driven rotational presidency that favoured candidates from Rivers State (his kith and kin), has been running the organisation without due regard for its constitution.“On this premise, we hereby announce the date for our forthcoming National Executive Committee election of the Youth Wing, scheduled for 15th June, 2026,” they declared.
In a statement issued after their meeting in Enugu, the group expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity across Nigeria, citing National Bureau of Statistics data that approximately 2.2 million kidnappings and N22 trillion in ransom payments were recorded in just one year.“This mind-blowing data is a stark reminder that our nation is on the precipice.
Are we now running a ransom economy?” the youths queried.The statement, signed by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Acting National Youth Leader, Wenceslaus Ogbonnia; Secretary, Igbo Youths Leaders Stakeholders, Anyaene Chukwuma; National Secretary of the Youth Wing, Emmanuel Mbadiugha, and others, called on President Bola Tinubu to grant them an audience within 14 working days to present a comprehensive security blueprint that, when implemented, would restore peace, security, and development to Alaigbo.
The statement, read by the National Publicity Secretary, Chika Art Adiele, also demanded the immediate release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The youths urged President Tinubu to temper justice with mercy, saying Kanu’s release would demonstrate to critics that he is truly a detribalised leader.
The Igbo youths commended Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for his “disruptive and innovative development” initiatives, which they said have restored pride to the capital of the Eastern heartland, particularly through the construction and equipping of over 100 smart schools with state-of-the-art facilities.
They also affirmed that it is the turn of Enugu State to produce the next leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing.
