Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos Seeks Unity, Rule of Law Amid Leadership Crisis

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State has renewed calls for unity, reconciliation and respect for the rule of law as stakeholders seek to resolve the lingering leadership crisis within the organisation.

The General Assembly meeting, held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the Old School Hall, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, brought together representatives from various local governments and local council development areas across the state, alongside professionals, community leaders and other stakeholders.

The gathering also featured discussions on health and community development. Prof. Rose spoke on the importance of maintaining good health and raising awareness about cancer and its potentially devastating effects, while health presenter Dr CJ Morgan and Akinyemi Adeshina, Vice President of Habitat for Africa Initiative (HAI) and presenter at the China Business Summit, also educated participants on the need to prioritise healthy living.

Traditional dance performances were also performed at the meeting, adding cultural colour to the gathering.
Speaking at the meeting, Acting President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, High Chief Linus Igbudu, said the assembly was convened to bring members together and chart a peaceful way forward amid disagreements within the organisation.

Igbudu stressed that members must operate within the constitution of Ohanaeze and respect subsisting court orders, insisting that progress could not be achieved by disregarding the law.
He said his priority was to unite members, pursue genuine reconciliation and create an environment where disagreements could be resolved through dialogue, humility and sincere apologies.
“We want to bring everybody together, respect everybody and make genuine peace,” Igbudu said, adding that the organisation would move ahead with developmental programmes once a sizeable number of members had been brought together.

He also defended disciplinary measures taken against a member, saying respect was reciprocal and that discipline was necessary to preserve order and the dignity of the organisation.
Igbudu further backed Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, for advocating respect for court orders, while condemning what he described as abusive attacks against the national leader.

The calls for restraint came against the backdrop of a prolonged leadership dispute in the Lagos chapter. A Yaba High Court had, on March 31, 2026, directed parties in the dispute to maintain the status quo and halt election-related activities pending further proceedings.

The legal dispute has continued to generate competing claims over the legitimacy of leadership structures in the Lagos chapter. Reports in April indicated that a faction conducted an election that produced Chief Leo Okafor, although the process was challenged amid the existing court order.

Speaking on the wider crisis, leading stakeholder Prince Ubochi Ubochi warned that the organisation could not be built on what he described as impunity. He urged all parties to allow the rule of law to prevail, stressing that Ohanaeze was bigger than individual personalities and political interests.

Prince Ubochi expressed concern over alleged attempts to establish competing structures across the 57 LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos, warning that such activities could deepen divisions and create avoidable security tensions.

He called on the Lagos State Government, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intervene proactively where necessary, while urging members to avoid confrontation and pursue lawful channels.

The stakeholders also appealed to Ndigbo in Lagos to respect the laws of the state and appreciate the peaceful environment that has enabled members of the community to live, trade, build businesses and raise their families.

The leadership crisis has previously prompted calls for reconciliation, with stakeholders and the court encouraging dialogue and alternative dispute resolution as a means of finding lasting solutions.

For the stakeholders gathered in Surulere, however, the message was clear: the future of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos should be built on unity, constitutional order, peaceful dialogue and respect for the courts, rather than rival structures and confrontation.