Group Urges Ohanaeze to Scrutinise ANNIN Over Diaspora Igbo Leadership

Susan Abayomi

The Committee on the Regularisation of Igbo Diaspora Traditional Title and Leadership (CRIDTTL) has urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide to carefully examine the objectives and proposed activities of the newly registered Association of Ndieze, Ndindu and Igbo Nobles (ANNIN) before considering any affiliation with the organisation.

The committee’s secretary, Prince Ubochi Ubochi, made the appeal in a letter to the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, citing concerns over ANNIN’s position on traditional leadership and the authority of established Igbo institutions in diaspora communities.

Ubochi identified differences between ANNIN’s stated position and the constitutional framework of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, particularly regarding the recognition of traditional leaders and the role of Onyendu Ndigbo outside Igboland.

According to him, ANNIN recognises individuals who independently adopt titles such as Eze, Eze Igbo or Eze Ndigbo as traditional rulers of Igbo communities in the diaspora.

He also alleged that the association had challenged the recognition of Onyendu Ndigbo as traditional leaders under Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide’s constitution, proposing instead that Ndindu Ndigbo should coordinate town unions and market unions.

Ubochi argued that the position raised questions about the authority of a newly registered association to define the responsibilities of existing institutions or determine their leadership arrangements.

He maintained that registering an organisation with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) does not automatically confer traditional authority over an ethnic community or give it control over independently constituted bodies.

According to the committee secretary, legal registration provides recognition to an association subject to applicable laws, but does not, by itself, establish authority over existing traditional institutions or their members.

He therefore called for greater clarity regarding ANNIN’s objectives, the scope of its proposed activities and the basis for any authority it might claim over Igbo traditional leadership structures, town unions and market unions.

The committee urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide to address these questions before considering any proposed relationship with ANNIN, arguing that careful scrutiny would help prevent misunderstandings and protect established institutions within Igbo communities abroad.

Ubochi stressed that the central issue was not whether individuals had the right to form associations, but whether the registration of a new organisation could legitimately be interpreted as granting it the authority to redefine existing institutions or assign responsibilities to their members.

He also emphasised the importance of mutual respect, institutional clarity and peaceful coexistence between Igbo communities and their host communities.

The committee’s appeal places renewed attention on questions surrounding traditional titles, community representation and the recognition of leadership structures among Igbo people living outside their ancestral homeland.

However, the concerns and interpretations presented in the letter represent the committee’s position. ANNIN’s response and its explanation of its objectives were not included in the information provided.