By Simeon Mpamugoh
Ambassador Solomon Aguene has insisted that he remains president of the Lagos State chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Reacting to a newspaper publication at the Secretariat of the group in Surulere, Aguene warned Ossai and his co-travellers to stop parading themselves as the state executives of the group adding that such action is tantamount to flouting consent judgement entered into in his favour by the court.
“Anyone who is looking for the services of the police goes to the station and not at the checkpoint. When the media wants to clarify issues about the group, they come to our Secretariat at James Robertson Street, Surulere, Lagos, which is where I have been holding press conferences but for someone without a permanent office to emerge from nowhere claiming he is the ‘authentic’ president of the group is a social media joke.”
He disclosed that Ossai was privy to the consent judgement that Ohanaeze Ndigbo can only contest the elective positions of Chairmen and executives of the local council development areas of the state but the post of the president would be left for him.
“My tenure comes to an end on June 8, 2026,” adding that the consent judgement was as a result of factions in the group which lingered up to 2018 when he became the president of the group. He said. “I put to rest issues with the factional leadership within the rank of the group through the court process, which has not been vacated.”
He said that the Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu invited executive members of Ohanaeze to the State House over the matter and was shocked to notice that there was a subsisting consent judgement in his favour. “The Governor said he was not aware that such existed, and no one told him. He promised to consult his Attorney General and Chief Justice of the State to advise him. And when he did, he said he couldn’t help the situation but to align himself with the court judgement.”
He revealed that Ossai was an ‘Onowu’ of Ikosi Isheri LCDA adding that the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo stipulated that “If you are an ‘Onowu’ in any palace, you cannot contest Lagos Ohanaeze Presidency. If you do, the election will be declared ultra vires, null and void and of no effect.”