At first stakeholders’ meeting, Oba Ojoto ends Surulere era, declares Alaba, Ladipo, Balogun as Ohanaeze branches; says “Lagos is our landlord”
Felix Mbata, Lagos state
Chief Leonard Okafor, Oba Ojoto, on Sunday declared “a new beginning” for Ndigbo in Lagos as he chaired his first meeting as President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, unveiling a grassroots restructure that takes Ohanaeze meetings out of Surulere and into all 57 Local Government Areas.
Speaking to The Unique Model at Calabar Hall — which he announced would host its “last Ohanaeze meeting” — Okafor said his emergence ended eight years of division after he brokered peace between former presidents Sunday Ossai and president Solomon Aguene to produce “one single election.”
“As at today, Ohanaeze is one,” he said. “What I am telling the Igbo Community across the globe is that there is a new beginning in Lagos State.”
The meeting drew massive turnout: over 90 percent of Ndieze, past Ohanaeze leaders, women, and youth groups. “They believe the person coming now will transform Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State,” Okafor noted. “They know I can do something great.”
THE RESTRUCTURE: FROM CALABAR HALL TO 57 LGAs AND MARKETS
Okafor’s flagship agenda is returning Ohanaeze “back to the base.”
“Ohanaeze is in local government, Ohanaeze is not in state,” he told The Unique Model. “Every other time we have meetings will be in various local governments. Maybe the next one will be at Ikeja — all 57 Local Governments will converge at Ikeja. The next one may be Ibeju, Badagry. We are going round again, to do Ohanaeze as we used to do it before.”
Major markets will now be formal structures: “Alaba will be a branch of Ohanaeze, Balogun will be a branch, Ladipo will be a branch — so that when Ohanaeze speaks, all the Igbos in Lagos will speak.”
He announced a Council of Past Leaders as “the highest decision-making body” and “image makers” of Ohanaeze Lagos. “If the government of Ohanaeze fails, they take over until a new government is formed. If there is conflict, they settle it. Their words should be final.”
‘WE WILL RENEGOTIATE WITH OUR LANDLORD’
On Lagos State relations, Okafor was clear: partnership, not rivalry.
“We cannot be bigger than our master. Lagos State is our landlord, we are not competing with them,” he said. “We are going to join Lagos and partner with them to make sure there is progress. Lagos State, Yoruba people are accommodating people. They make us feel like this is our real home.”
He defined “renegotiate” as political pragmatism: “You can never be more than the owners of the house… If you are looking for ten councilors in Local Government and they said take three, we keep seven, we will accept. We give our votes. Yorubas are an accommodative tribe.”
The aim, he said, is to “use our numerical strength” through organization. “If we are here with all our numerical strength and we are not organized, everything will become a minority.”
RECONCILIATION UNDERWAY
Okafor confirmed direct outreach to leaders outside Ohanaeze. “I have called Mr. Osewoke personally, I have called Ubochi, I have called Robert. The day I was elected, I did voice mail to them and they returned my call. We have already engaged each other.”
“I can sacrifice to ensure we get peace. Very soon you will hear that Ohanaeze is one in Lagos State.”
CONCLUSION
For Chief Leo Okafor, Saturday’s Calabar Hall meeting was both a funeral and a birth — the burial of “eight years of problem” and the birth of a grassroots, market-driven Ohanaeze that speaks with one voice.
By taking meetings to Ikeja, Badagry, Ibeju, and turning Alaba, Ladipo, and Balogun into Ohanaeze branches, he is betting that power flows up from the people, not down from Surulere.
His message to Lagos State is deference without weakness: “We will partner politically, economically, socially, culturally.” His message to Ndigbo is unity with purpose: “All Igbos in Lagos State should come together now. We already have an umbrella.”
To those who voted him in, he promised results, not rhetoric: “What I will do will surprise them. What we have started today will show their voting me in will not be in vain.”
If Okafor delivers, this “new beginning” may be remembered as the day Ohanaeze Lagos stopped meeting to talk — and started organizing to negotiate.