President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has resolved the lingering leadership crisis in the Bayelsa chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, ending many years of leadership tussle.

The protracted leadership crisis had factionalised the socio-cultural group in the area.

Chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, South-South Coordinator of Ohanaeze Youth Wing, said in Yenagoa that Nwodo had summoned the feuding factions and mended fences among them.

Arthur-Ugwa applauded Nwodo for his fatherly role by listening to the grievances of the two factions and brokered peace, to pave way for the election of a new executive.

He noted that the Ohanaeze national leadership had, after the peace initiative, appointed an election committee headed by Chief Charles Odunukwe, Vice President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

According to him, both factions have been advised to withdraw all pending court cases and to maintain the existing peace while those aspiring to lead the group should brace up and canvass for votes, with an assurance that the elections would be credible.

“We commend the peace moves which our father and President-General initiated when he visited Bayelsa sometime in July for the South-South rally on restructuring.

“He subsequently invited both the current caretaker Chairman, Chief Mark Nlem, and the erstwhile leader, Chief Chinedu Amaku, and both parties embraced each other.

“Peace has finally returned to Ohanaeze in Bayelsa due to the untiring efforts of Chief Nwodo and we expect the group to grow in leaps and bounds.

“Chief Nwodo also urged us to embark on registration of new members to grow Ohanaeze,” Arthur-Ugwa said.

In a reaction to the peace move, Amaku, who leads one faction of the group, acknowledged that both parties had resolved their differences.

“I can confirm that the peace which eluded Ohanaeze in Bayelsa, had returned; the peace move was initiated in Bayelsa before we invited the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze in Enugu.

“Our President-General encouraged us to work together in the interest of Igbo people and we now buried our individual interests for the interest of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and we shall work to preserve the peace,” Amaku said.

On the 2018 Igbo day, Amaku said that the National Leadership of Ohanaeze had postponed the event which holds annually on Sept. 19 to October, to pave the way for Igbos to participate in the primaries of various political parties.