Professor George Ohaneze, the former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States from 2004-2008 comes out as the new President General of the Igbo socio-cultural group Ohanaeze Ndigbo. President George was also a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Former High Commissioner to Cyprus and also former Nigerian Ambassador to Israel from 1999 to 2003.
A total of 304 votes were recorded for him as he beat two other contestants in a just-concluded election at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri. His closest rival was Valentine Oparaocha and he pulled just 15 votes.
At the election, a few notable people were present namely; the Governors of Imo and Ebonyi State, Minister of Labour Chris Ngige, Minister of Science and technology Ogbonnaya Onu, Senator Andy Uba, former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Gary Igariwe, ArchBishop of the Enugu Province, Anglican Communion, Most Rev, Emmanuel Chukwuma and a host of other senators and lawmakers from the southeast and south-south.
Gary Igariwey, the chairman of the Electoral Committee said the committee had adopted an open process in the form if Option A4 for the balloting to promote the transparency and credibility of the process. Before the voting began, three contestants Chukwunyere Nwaebo, Goddy Uwazuruike and Uju Okoro stepped down for Mr Obiozor.
Before the election which took place yesterday, 10th of January 2021, Professor Obiozor had emerged as a consensus candidate at Imeobi meeting convened by the Nwodo-led executive of Ohaneze Ndigbo, but his emergence was described as unconstitutional by some aspirants.
