George Obiozor, former Nigerian ambassador to the US, has been elected president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Obiozor defeated two other candidates to emerge leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group at an election conducted on Sunday in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
He was the Nigerian ambassador to the United States, from 2004 to 2008.
He had reportedly emerged the consensus candidate few weeks ago but controversy trailed the endorsement, with John Nwodo, the outgoing president, denying supporting any one for the position.
“The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldide has been drawn to a spurious, mendacious and malicious news item making the rounds that a candidate has been chosen to occupy the post of the President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, which by rotation, is now the turn of Imo State,” he had said in a statememnt.
“The said vexatious piece would have been ignored for the chaff it is but for the fact that it impinges on the solid and time-tested tradition of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in choosing its leadership and the integrity of its present President-General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo.
“The truth of the matter is that posts in Ohanaeze Ndigbo are rotational and positions zoned to states. It is the responsibility of states to choose their candidates which they may prune down for their convenience.”