John Azuta-Mbata, the newly elected President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has been given a seven-day ultimatum to step down from his position.
The ultimatum was issued by the Rivers State Restoration Movement (RRM) on Tuesday, January 13, just 72 hours after Azuta-Mbata, an Ikwerre-born former senator, assumed leadership of the prominent Igbo socio-political organization.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Johnson Georgewill, and Secretary, Sarina Akpata, the RRM described Azuta-Mbata’s election as troubling and shameful.
The group announced plans to organize mass protests across Rivers State, Abuja, and United Nations facilities to oppose his leadership.
The RRM also accused Rivers State Governor Siminialayi Fubara of orchestrating the election to further marginalize the people of the state.
They alleged that the governor’s actions were unjust and amounted to a betrayal of the political harmony fostered by former Governor Nyesom Wike, who supported Fubara’s rise to power as a representative of riverine communities.
The group expressed outrage, questioning what wrong Rivers residents had committed to warrant what they described as humiliation under Fubara’s administration.
They argued that Azuta-Mbata’s election undermines principles of equity, fairness, and justice.