Politics

Anambra Community boils over plot by Lawmakers to impose traditional ruler

Published

5 years ago

March 5, 2021

By Our Correspondent

Cold war is brewing in Awa Town in Orumba North local government area of Anambra state over plot by the House of Assembly and some town union cabals to impose an Igwe on the community.

While some of the the state legislators are hell bent on enthroning a new Igwe of Awa without undergoing due processes involved therein, the Awa community and the ruling villages are kicking against such moves, describing it as an attempt to steal their rightful throne.

The Igwe of Awa Town, Charles Chukwunwike Mbadiugha (Dike Nzekwe of Awa) died in 2015, and since then the community has been embroiled in succession tussle, leading to series of litigations between Umunzekwe family and the Awa Development Union leadership and as well as other members of Igwe cabinet.

This development has also not only created a leadership vacuum, but fuelled undue rivalry among contending interest groups as well as disunity in the traditional institution in Awa community, which had hitherto been peaceful.

In an attempt to resolve the lingering crisis, the Orumba North local government council on January 9, 2018 and under the Council chairman Hon Emeka Afforka, set up a Peace and Reconciliation Committee on Awa Igwe/chieftaincy crises.

The 9-man panel in a reference letter ORNLG/AD/240/1/124 and headed by Hon Bernard Onyekwelu, the then Deputy Chairman of Orumba North, was mandated to look into the petition written by Umenzekwe family against the Awa Development Union and other members of Igwe’s Cabinet, find out the immediate and remote causes of the crisis with a view to proffering solutions as well as settling the matter amicably and restoring peace in Awa Community.

The panel after painstaking deliberations, recommended “the installation of a new Igwe as the first charge as the absence of an Igwe in Awa, the Iqwe/Chieftaincy constitution cannot be amended except after installation because it is the new Igwe that would sign the amended constitution into law.”

It further recommended that “candidate for the Iqweship stool should come from Umunzekwe family in line with agreements reached by both sides.”

A few years after the committee recommendations were adopted by warring factions, the then President General of Awa Development Union, Prof Obi Obikeze, and Dr Raymond Offor discreetly set up committee to illegally amend the Awa Town Council 1977 constitution on traditional rulership selection/identification of Igwe.

On getting wind of this ugly development and sensing moves to deny them of their traditional birth right of being the royal family that produces the Igwe of Awa in accordance with customs and tradition, the Umunzekwe family comprising Agbada, Eziobuikpa and Eziobuna villages headed for court and got an injunction restraining the Awa Development Union leaders from tampering with the constitution in a Suit No: AG/155/2018 between Chinedu Nwankwo and Sir Christopher Okeke (plaintiffs and representatives of Umenzekwe) versus Prof Obi Obikeze and Dr Raymond Offor ( as defendants) for themselves and representatives of members of Awa Development Union.

Checks by our reporter showed that the Awa Town Council 1977 constitution on traditional rulership authorises the selection/identification of Awa traditonal head on the senior and ruling Umunzekwe village or quarter of Awa in accordance with customs and tradition

Determined to have their way even as the court order was still subsisting, the duo of Obikeze and Offor went ahead and wrote a new constitution entirely and submitted same to the government, claiming that Awa has no existing constitution.

And out to defend sanctity of the traditional institution and protect their heritage, the Umunzekwe family again, on getting wind of the moves, petitioned the Anambra Commissioner of Police demanding investigation into the alleged change of Awa Town constitution.

It was gathered that following that petition, the police arrested Prof Obikeze and Dr Offor and charged them with fraud and are said to be standing trial.

While all these contending issues were on, the new President General of Awa Development Union, Dr Raymond Offor, shortly after his election in December 31, 2020, wrote to the community giving them ten days within which to elect a new Igwe, claiming it was government directive.

Worried by the action of the town union’s president whose election is still under litigation, the Umunzekwe again protested to the government, leading to the cancellation of the purported election and advised all to return to status quo.

In a letter dated February 12, 2021 and made available to our reporter in Awka, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr Greg Obi, cancelled the purported election citing some irreconcilable issues.

The letter signed on his behalf by Henry Nwasike and copied to critical stakeholders including security agencies, read in part: “The cancellation of the election was necessitated by series of documented information before the state government which, if not clinically examined and addressed before the election, can lead to problems and security issues in state.”

Further reacting on the issue, the Commissioner said the Awa matter is before the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for his opinion because of the legal issues involved, adding AG’s advice would enable government to proceed further.

Further checks revealed that in spite of all these lingering issues and against government directive, the law maker representing Orumba North in the state Assembly, Hon Emeka Aforka, and his group allegedly organised a thanksgiving service at St Micheal’s Catholic Church at Awa on Sunday, February 14, 2021 to celebrate the purported election of one Chief Isreal Ezue as the new Igwe of Awa.

On discovering that government wasn’t willing to buy into his subterranean plots to impose his crony as new Igwe, Hon Afforka engineered one of his allies and the new Town Union president, Dr Raymond Offor, to petition the House of Assembly through his office, the Public Petitions.

House sources revealed that as usual, the House after receiving the petition titled ”Complaint against Henry Nwasike of the Anambra State Ministry Of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs for Conduct Unbecoming of a Civil Servant, Gross Misconduct, Fraudulent Practices and Inciting Religious Division Within Awa Committee” referred it to the committee on Public Petitions, which Oforka is the chairman.

According to the source, the committee on March 3, 2021 presented their report on the floor of the house and after deliberating on the matter the lawmakers adopted a resolution including “directing the Head of Service, to post out Mr Henry Nwasike from the ministry of local government, chieftaincy and community affairs and that the said letter cancelling the election of Awa Traditional Ruler sent to the president of Awa Development Union be declared null and void as it has been overtaken by events and the and winner be issued with certificate of recognition as Igwe of Awa Town to ensure peace within the community.”

Speaking earlier while presenting the report, Aforka argued that contrary to what people are made to believe, that Awa Town had set up a committee to review the chieftaincy selection constitution and it was duly approved by state government through the ministry of local government affairs in 2018.

He said it was worrisome that a section of the community proceeded to court, insisting that the issue of chieftaincy is their own hereditary right, adding that the matter was later struck out.

He explained that the community communicated the state government through the ministry fixing February 13, 2021 for the election and it was held to their greatest surprise, expressing dismay that after declaration of the winner of the election, the ministry of local government letter cancelled it.

Reacting to the House of Assembly resolutions, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Obiano on Community Liaison, Hon Chukwuemeke Egwuonwu, said the issue of traditional institution is so sacred and revered that all due processes must be followed for peace to reign in various communities in Anambra.

Egwuonwu, who hail from Awa, said Awa community have for decades been living in peace among themselves and therefore enjoined the government to do everything possible to preserve the people’s culture and tradition.

According to him, the Awa community is yet to elect Igwe and reconstitute the Igwe-in-council following some irreconcilable differences within the community, calling on the Governor to tow the path of truth and justice in the Igweship tussle.

He said the House resolution directing Governor Willy Obiano to issue a certificate of recognition to the purported Igwe-elect, HRH Igwe Isreal Okeke, is against the age-long Awa Town Council 1977 constitution on traditional rulership, selection/identification which confers traditional head on the senior and ruling Umunzekwe village or quarter of Awa in accordance with the community customs and tradition.

He further explained that the report of peace and reconciliation committee on Awa Igwe/Chieftaincy Crises set up by Hon Emeja Aforka, the then council chairman of Orumba north local governemnt, recommended among others that candidate for the Iqweship stool should come from Umunzekwe family in line with agreements reached by both sides.

He added that the report expressly stated that “in the absence of an Igwe in Awa, the Iqwe/Chieftaincy constitution cannot be amended except after installation,” disclosing that the Awa community is made up of twelve villages and only three of them are the ruling villages that would produce the next Igwe.

Emeka stated that the Assembly has no right at all to direct Governor Obiano to give certificate of recognition to the purported Igwe-elelct just as they was no election to that effect, calling on the Governor to disregard their directive as it would further breed tension and acrimony within the community.

Also advising Governor Willy Obiano to be wary of imposters who want not only foist their crony as Igwe in Awa Town, a community leader, Solomon Nwosu, said the move by Hon Aforka is an attempt to desecrate the traditional institution and cause division among the family members.

Nwosu, from Eziobuikpa village, maintained that it is unfortunate that their representative at the house of Assembly is conspiring to destroy a revered royal family even as they stood with the lawmaker in the 2019 general election that brought him to office.

He wondered why Aforka should dissipate energy and such interest championing the cause of Awa when his people are up against him for his alleged misdemeanors.

According to him, “Aforka desperate moves is a calculated attempt to spite the peace loving governor Obiano and we shall rise against it as Awa family stands for peace and justice.”

Also speaking, Nze Prince Willifred Nwankwo, whose father-grand and father have been igwes of Awa, said what is happening in Awa is a misnomer and unheard of and therefore should be condemned by all right thinking community leaders.

Nwankwo,from Eziobuna, explained that traditional issues are not discussed at the behest of an individual whose quest for power cannot be sacrificed at the alter of our native laws and customs, calling on Hon Aforka to stay off Awa matter as he is not empowered to speak on the community’s behalf with regard to Igweship stool.

He advised Aforka to focus on how to make laws for good governance and borrow a leaf from his colleagues on how to attract projects to his constituents, adding that so far the law maker can not boast of anything in the whole sixteen communities of Orumba North other than crisis.

END

Politics

Anambra Communities Boil As Group Carpets Traditional Rulers Over Zoning

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

By Okey Maduforo, Awka

Ten communities that make up Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State are set for a showdown with their traditional rulers following the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement for the Anambra State House of Assembly elections.

Recall that on April 7, 2022, the traditional rulers, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), resolved that the House of Assembly seats for Anaocha I and Anaocha II constituencies would rotate among the ten communities, with each town occupying the seat for two terms.

The traditional rulers further resolved that the rotation would subsist irrespective of the political party through which lawmakers emerge, noting that the arrangement was aimed at ensuring that all ten communities have the opportunity to produce members of the State Assembly in the interest of equity and fairness.

However, the Anaocha Equity Forum, shortly after its meeting, expressed concern over the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement.

Speaking, the Convener of the Anaocha Equity Forum, Mr. Valentine Okoye, said the forum would not take kindly to what it described as acts capable of destabilising the council area, adding that any such move would be resisted.

“This is a Memorandum of Understanding signed by our traditional rulers, and it has been respected until now. We in the Anaocha Equity Forum see this as a slap on the sensibilities of the ten communities that make up the area,” he said.

“We urge members of the public, political parties, and stakeholders to disregard the alleged position of the traditional rulers, as it does not represent the views and aspirations of our people.

“Our traditional rulers should be mindful of their roles as fathers of their respective communities. They should also understand that they would be held responsible for whatever backlash or consequences may arise from this recent position.

“We call on Governor Charles Soludo to call the traditional rulers to order so that the peace currently enjoyed in Anaocha Local Government Area will not be disrupted,” he stated.

Politics

Mass exodus: Obi, Kwankwaso exit rocks ADC, 18 lawmakers join NDC

Published

4 days ago

May 6, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, two prominent opposition figures, has weakened the African Democratic Congress across both chambers of the National Assembly.

The National Democratic Congress, which received Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday, recorded its biggest gains on Tuesday with the addition of 17 House members and a senator. Weeks earlier, its ranks expanded when Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the party.

The development comes a few days after several opposition parties resolved to present a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

The wave of defection to the NDC occurred 48 hours after Obi and Kwankwaso, two of the ADC’s most prominent figures, formally exited the party. These moves have significantly altered the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for shifting political alliances.

Additionally, the latest defectors, drawn from Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States, cited internal disarray within the ADC as a major factor that influenced their decision.

While reading their letters on the floor of the House, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary session, said the lawmakers blamed the party’s instability for their departure, noting that the crisis remained “unresolved starting from the ward to the national level.”

The defectors to the NDC are Yusuf Datti, Sani Adamu, Zakari Mukhtari, Kamilu Ado, Harris Okonkwo, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Peter Anekwe, Emeka Idu, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, and Afam Ogene. Others include Lagos lawmakers Thaddeus Attah, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, George Olwande, and Jese Onuakalusi, as well as Murphy Omroruyi from Edo and Umezuruike Manuchim from Rivers State.

In a separate move, Kogi lawmaker Leke Abejide defected from the ADC to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The coordinated nature of the defections is widely interpreted as a show of loyalty to Obi and Kwankwaso, whose switch to the NDC is already reshaping opposition dynamics.

Both men are influential political figures with strong regional bases—Obi in the South-East and Kwankwaso in the North-West—and their exit from the ADC appears to have triggered a ripple effect among lawmakers aligned with their political structures.

The ADC’s current troubles did not emerge overnight. In recent months, tensions within the party escalated over leadership struggles, strategy disagreements, and competing ambitions among top figures.

The situation worsened amid reports of irreconcilable differences between Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also a central figure in opposition coalition talks.

Efforts to build a united front ahead of 2027 reportedly broke down due to mistrust, zoning disagreements, and control of party structures.

Their eventual defection to the NDC marked a turning point. Seen as a more viable platform for consolidating opposition strength, the NDC quickly became a magnet for lawmakers and political actors seeking stability and clearer leadership direction.

With the departure of key figures and a steady decline in its legislative strength, the ADC now faces a daunting struggle to maintain political relevance.

The loss of national figures like Obi and Kwankwaso, combined with the defection of lawmakers across multiple states, appears to have weakened its structure and electoral prospects.

Only last week, the party boasted 24 members of the House of Representatives, but it is now left with six.

Once the dominant opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party may equally struggle to retain its status.

Though still officially the most formidable opposition in the House, the PDP currently has 29 members in the Green Chamber, down from 116 members in its ranks at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.

Politics

2027: Akpabio Moves to Block Ex-Governors from Contesting for Senate President

Published

4 days ago

May 6, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

Barely a year to the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday moved to tighten its internal rules, effectively narrowing the path to its most powerful offices and edging out a class of incoming lawmakers, including serving governors and former senators eyeing leadership positions.

In a move widely seen as pre-emptive, the red chamber, after about three hours of a closed-door session, amended Orders 4 and 5 of its Standing Rules, restricting eligibility for both presiding and principal offices to ranking lawmakers with defined legislative experience.

The amendments come amid growing interest by outgoing governors and political heavyweights, many of whom are positioning to enter the Senate in 2027 to contest for top leadership roles such as Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

Under the Revised Order 4, the Senate reinforced a strict hierarchy for the emergence of presiding officers, stating that “Nomination of senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators and shall be strictly adhered to.

“The order of ranking are (i) Former President of the Senate, (ii) Former Deputy President of the Senate, (iii) Former Principal Officers of the Senate, (iv) Senators who had served at least one term of four years, (v) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (vi) In the absence of i to v, senators elected into the Senate for the first time,” it stated.

Beyond this ranking structure, the Senate introduced a more stringent provision in Order 5, effectively excluding first-time and non-consecutive lawmakers from contesting principal offices.

The amended rule states: “Any senator shall not be eligible to contest for any principal office of the Senate unless he has served as a senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding nomination.”

The implication is far-reaching: senators-elect who were not members of both the 9th and 10th National Assembly would be ineligible to vie for key leadership roles in the 11th Assembly.

Presiding offices in the Senate include the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, while principal offices comprise Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.

The rule changes come against the backdrop of an intensifying scramble for Senate seats ahead of the 2027 general elections, driven largely by governors completing their constitutionally allowed two terms.

No fewer than 10 state governors and several former governors are already angling to secure senatorial tickets, leveraging their influence over party structures to emerge as consensus candidates in their respective states.

At least 12 of the 36 state governors are in their second and final terms, with 10 set to complete their tenure by May 29, 2027.

The looming transition has triggered a wave of political realignments, with many seeking to maintain relevance and influence by moving to the National Assembly.

Eight of the affected governors are from the ruling All Progressives Congress, while Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed is aligned with the Allied Peoples Movement.

Those expected to exit office in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.

Although Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will complete their tenures in early 2028 due to off-cycle elections, both have been drawn into early permutations for Senate seats.

In Imo State, the political temperature has risen sharply following moves by the All Progressives Congress to position Uzodimma for the Imo West senatorial seat.

Party leaders in the state have already named him as the consensus candidate, even as the incumbent senator, Osita Izunaso, is reportedly seeking a return to the red chamber.

Last Saturday, APC leaders from the Orlu Zone (Imo West), led by the state chairman, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, purchased the 2027 senatorial nomination form for the governor, urging him to accept the ticket.

Onyedebelu, who presented the forms to Uzodimma’s Chief of Staff, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, called for pressure on the governor to “accept the plea of Orlu people by filling the forms so that it can be submitted before the deadline of 5th May, 2026.”

The state APC has also warned other aspirants against contesting the seat, insisting that Uzodimma remains the consensus choice.

Complicating the contest, former Governor Rochas Okorocha equally purchased nomination forms in a bid to return to the Senate, a move confirmed by one of his aides, Darlington Ibekwe.

The Orlu Political Consultative Assembly further reinforced Uzodimma’s candidacy, declaring him the sole candidate for the district in what it described as a “total, unanimous, and irrevocable decision.”

The unfolding contest is also shaped by internal power dynamics within the ruling party.

Last month, President Bola Tinubu reportedly rebuffed attempts by National Assembly leaders to secure automatic return tickets for lawmakers, instead reaffirming the authority of state governors over candidate selection.

The stance has strengthened governors’ grip on party structures, enabling many of them to influence senatorial nominations as they prepare for life after office.

Against this backdrop, the Senate’s rule amendments appear designed to preserve institutional hierarchy and prevent an influx of first-time lawmakers, many of them politically powerful, from immediately taking control of the chamber’s leadership.

For ambitious entrants like Uzodimma and others plotting a return or debut in the Senate, the message from the red chamber is clear: experience within its ranks, not political clout outside it, will determine who leads in the 11th National Assembly.