Ohanaeze insists on Eze Ndigbo title ban

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has said the newly created Onyendu Ndigbo title will replace the controversial Eze Ndigbo title.

According to the body, the move is to address the controversy surrounding the old title across Nigeria and diaspora,

This was revealed during the induction of diaspora leadership and inauguration of first batch of 32 ‘Onyendu’ Ndigbo leaders drawn from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ghana and beyond held In Owerri on Monday.

The chairman of the committee of Regularization of Igbo Diaspora Traditional Title and Leadership, Charles Odunukwe said, “The leader of the Igbos outside homeland territories would be known and called Onyendu or any other title in consultation with the council of Ndieze and Ime-obi. The Eze Igbo or Eze Ndigbo title held presently by Igbo leaders outside the homeland has been proscribed”.

During the induction ceremony, the Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke formally inducted the second batch of diaspora Igbo leaders into the office of Onyendu Ndigbo, further consolidating the region’s drive for structured and credible cultural representation abroad.

Okeke said, “We expect nothing short of the best traditional Igbo leadership practices from you. Which means zero tolerance for corruption and bad leadership. For to whom much is given, much is expected.”

The monarch expressed gratitude to leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, led by Senator John Azuka Mbata, for their support and intervention.

The chairman sounded a note of warning to the inducted leaders that their role and certificates will be withdrawn if they are found wanting.

The second induction followed the landmark first batch ceremony held in Owerri in May this year when South-East Council of Traditional Rulers inducted 32 distinguished Igbo sons.

The secretary of the committee, Ubochi Ubochi described the induction series as a foundational moment for a more organised and globally respected Igbo diaspora leadership framework.

He added, “For the newly inducted Onyendu Ndigbo, the title represents not mere ceremony but a binding responsibility, heralding what many are calling a new chapter of legitimacy, unity, and cultural pride for Ndigbo worldwide.”