Senator John Azuta-Mbata has been elected as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Azuta-Mbata, a former Senator representing Rivers East at the National Assembly, was elected at the stakeholders meeting of the Igbo Socio-Cultural organization at the old government lodge Enugu, the Enugu State capital on Friday.

The event was attended by several delegates from the South-East and the Diaspora with more than 200 social and cultural groups.

Mbata will be succeeding Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu, the last occupant of the President General seat, who hailed from Imo State. He succeeded the late Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and the late Prof. George Obiozor, all of whom were from Imo State but died in office.

John Azuta-Mbata served as the senator representing Rivers East senatorial district under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 1999 to 2003.

Azuta-Mbata was born in January 1960. He earned a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Ibadan.

He was a member of the Governing council of Rivers state university of science & Technology, Port Harcourt.

After taking his seat in the Senate in June 1999, he was appointed to committees on Defense, Works & Housing, Women Affairs, Finance & Appropriation (vice chairman), Information, Special Projects and Local & Foreign Debts.