News
Town Union Election: Enugu Community Accuses Commissioner Of Bias
SummitNews gathered that Commissioner Ogbodo has unilaterally slated Saturday, December 14, 2024 as the date of election-by-delegates, which the incumbent Executive and most people in Awhum firmly charged as strange and foreign to the Awhum Town Union Constitution of 1985.
Their Constitution, they said, states, in Section 28, that “election shall be by raising of hands at the assembly of the General Assembly or standing in line behind candidates of choice of each member/voter.”
They wondered where Mr. Ogbodo was bringing his election-by-delegates from since their Constitution had a position which had run from time immemorial or about the era before the Nigeria – Biafra war and the 1970s.
The problem of the incumbent Executive of Awhum Town Central Union, started in early July this year when it formerly wrote and notified the Ministry of impending end-of-tenure on September 15, 2024.
According to the President General, Comrade Ralph Ochubelu, “the letter notifying the government was to first raise awareness on the approach of end of tenure, and secondly for a date to be fixed and announced for new elections before the expiration of tenure.”
The Ministry, our Correspondent gathered, had formally received the memo, stamped and acknowledged it, but strangely, this memo soon got missing until an alarm was raised.
The incumbent Executive and members of the Community soon developed fears that something unbecoming was being hatched as there was still no word from the Ministry.
Their fears were confirmed, September 4, when the Commissioner summoned the PG; members of his Executive Council; Chairmen of Village Assemblies and some stakeholders and, from the blues, announced that he had powers to set up a “Caretaker Committee” or appoint a “Sole Administrator” for the Community.
It was gathered that he was challenged there by one of the stakeholders, an Ex-Commissioner, who told him that he was departing from the path of peace if he allowed some manipulators to lead him into such thing as the Caretaker Committee or Sole Administrator.
“There is no emergency, whatsoever, to warrant a Caretaker Committee or Sole Administrator. The tenure of the present Executive is still running and even if it exceeds by a few weeks, it was not going to be the first, as the immediate past administration had nine months in excess of the tenure. The one before that ran for two extra years. So, why the hurry to talk about Caretaker Committee or Sole Administrator?”
The former Commissioner was said to have firmly stated that only crisis or breakdown in law and order would necessitate the appointment of Caretaker Committee or Sole Administrator, and none of such was in place.
The Commissioner then asked members of the Community to go back to the village and await his announcement on radio. This, the Community felt, was unusual. It was never this way. Much as they had in the past encountered attempts by officials of government to help Candidates in Town Union elections, as elsewhere, this appeared pointing in a scary direction.
Unsettled by this development, the P.G, his Executives and some stakeholders quickly retained the services of BackBond Law Firm, which promptly outlined the legal implications of the Commissioner, and reasons for him to intervene.
Commissioner Ogbodo soon called the Town Executives and stakeholders to announce that the Governor had directed that an election be conducted, according to the Constitution of the Town Union.
He announced the setting up of an Electoral Committee, and named the Members, without the input of the Community, except those for whom he appeared to be working for, to install a Caretaker Committee or Sole Administrator.
In the words of the Deputy President General, Comrade Okey Ngwuagu, he, Commissioner Ogbodo just “announced an Electoral Committee, all by himself, without reference to the Community or their leaders, himself not being from the Community” but believed to be manipulated by some minority elements who are scared of general elections.
He set November 9, 2024 as the date of Election but his Electoral Committee moved it to November 16, without informing the Community.
Our Correspondent gathered that this election produced less than 10 percent of expected results as voting was held only for the office of the P. G, largely due to what one resident described as the “incompetence of Ogbodo’s Electoral Committee and seeming connivance of the officials of the Ministry, on ground.”
“Counting of votes was not well-coordinated,” a Ministry source disclosed.
According to the source, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, a said Mr. James Ugbor, “started the counting from the four and half lines formed by the supporters of the incumbent PG, Comrade Ochubeku, in favour of whom he recorded and announced 671 heads/votes.”
In the case of the opponent, Mr. Okey Okolo, he was observed to be lax with measures to control the crowd or prevent double appearance on the line, “and that was what finally marred the election. People were caught on camera voting multiple times. Some were seen using fuel and other chemicals to remove the ink-marks on their fingers so that they voted again and again. From the two and half lines formed by Okolo’s supporters, the Electoral Committee scored him 633 votes/heads.
Election into that post alone, against several experiences in the past, lasted over seven hours.
Yet, strangely, Commissioner Ogbodo refused to announce Comrade Ochubelu (the incumbent PG) the winner.
Rather, the Commissioner refused any further communications with the Community.
He was also reported to have ignored all the letters written by various lawyers, asking him to act quickly to stem any unbecoming development from his seeming curious interest in installing a Caretaker Committee or Sole Administrator in the Community; or to be guided by the Constitution of the Community in question before he embarked on his “strange” election-by-delegates.
“He ignored all,” our correspondent gathered.
President of the town’s Youth Association, Prince Tyla Onoduenyi, last Saturday, led a demonstration of the youths in the old Nkwo market square, where they sang their disapproval of the Election-by-Delegates, amid brandishing of placards.
He said, “Elections in the Town Union Executive Councils are always by general elections where voters stand in line/s behind their preferred candidates where they were counted, ever so since the 1970s or before, till date.”
The placards bore such wording as “Delegates Election is strange to our Constitution,” “We have never heard of such election before”, “Who will select the delegates?” “By what criteria would the delegates be selected?” “Commissioner do not bring confusion into Awhum”, “It is General Election or Nothing”.
But what has suddenly made a quiet, sleepy community as Awhum so attractive to the Honoruable Commissioner and officials of his Ministry to throw every caution to the wind to interfere in election of mere Executives of the Town Union?
Sources attribute this development to deft moves of operatives of mineral explorers in the vicinity who are said to be ever discomforted with independent locality administrators wherever they operate, except they are their puppets.
However, there is no evidence to back up this claim.
Other sources believe that these interferences arose from the absence of, and the tussle for, the vacant stool of the traditional ruler (Igwe) of the Community. MmThe last Igwe passed away in June of 2018, and the incumbent Town Union Executive Council had almost completed the process of a new one emerging, having narrowed it to one candidate following the withdrawal of one of the two frontrunners.
Some members of the Community, especially believed to have had stints in government are said to be opposed to the 1976 Igweship Constitution of the town already published in Government Gazette of 2010, and which amendment can only be undertaken “if approval by the Governor is first had and obtained.”
The Federal Commissioner representing Kaduna State at the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon. Sa’adatu Garba Dogonbauchi, has presented letters of permanent and pensionable appointment to three youths drawn from different local government areas of the state.
The presentation, according to a statement issued by Dogonbauchi, is aimed at expanding employment opportunities for young people and supporting youth empowerment in line with the Federal Government’s development objectives.
The beneficiaries are Shamsuddeen Abdulaziz Bagi from Igabi Local Government Area, Abdulfatah Abdulwakil from Kaduna South Local Government Area, and Aisha Adamu from Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.
Speaking during the presentation, Dogonbauchi described the appointments as more than an administrative exercise, saying they provide beneficiaries with an opportunity to build sustainable careers in public service while improving their economic prospects and contributing to national development.
She said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises employment generation, economic empowerment and improved living standards for Nigerians.
The NPC commissioner expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and represent Kaduna State, pledging to continue supporting programmes that create opportunities for young people and strengthen public institutions.
She also acknowledged Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, and Hon. James Abiodun Faleke for their support, which she said contributed to her appointment and service.
Dogonbauchi urged the new employees to discharge their duties with discipline, integrity and professionalism, while adhering to public service rules and serving as worthy representatives of their communities.
She congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to justify the confidence reposed in them through excellence, accountability and dedication to public service.
Hon. Obi Aguocha, member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is facing mounting criticism and backlash over his video in which he is seen singing and vibing to a sexually vulgar and demeaning song against women.
In the video, which is currently making the rounds online and in Ikwuano/Umuahia WhatsApp groups, Aguocha is clearly seen singing and enjoying the Ogele cultural song, whose lyrics reduce women to objects of sexual gratification.
The footage was reportedly recorded at a public gathering that had families in attendance, including children, a detail that has intensified the backlash.
The song, performed in the Ogele cultural music tradition associated with communities in Abia State, has sparked outrage among women and women’s groups who say the lyrics are not just vulgar but deeply degrading.
“This is not culture. This is humiliation dressed in tradition,” said Mrs. Ngozi Ibe, a women’s leader in Umuahia North. “We have watched the video. The words used against women in that song are not the kind of thing any serious leader should be associated with. A lawmaker representing our constituency should be defending our dignity, not promoting content that strips women of it.”
Another woman, a trader in Umuahia South who identified herself simply as Madam Grace, said the video had caused deep anger among market women.
“We heard about it and we watched it. Many of us were shocked. You cannot claim to represent women and then be seen singing and vibing to a song where women are being insulted in the most vulgar way. We are not laughing. We are insulted,” she said.
A coalition of women’s groups in the constituency, under the aegis of the Ikwuano/Umuahia Concerned Women’s Forum, also issued a statement condemning the video.
“The lyrics go beyond ordinary expressions of affection. They employ vulgar sexual references that reduce women to objects and make our sexuality the subject of degrading entertainment. For a serving federal lawmaker to be seen actively singing and enjoying such content is a serious indictment on his judgment and his respect for the women he claims to represent,” the group said.
The women’s forum also expressed concern over the presence of children at the event.
“What message does it send to our children when a leader they look up to is seen celebrating a song that reduces women to sexual objects? This is not the kind of example we should be setting for the next generation,” the statement added.
“Ogele is our heritage. But heritage is not a licence for vulgarity. Culture should uplift, not humiliate. We call on Hon. Aguocha to explain his involvement in this video and to apologise to the women and families of Ikwuano/Umuahia,” the group said.
The controversy raises questions about the judgment expected of a public officeholder and the appropriateness of associating with content that many women and families could reasonably find offensive and humiliating.
Aguocha has not responded to requests for comment as of press time.
News
National Assembly Receives Proposals for New LGAs as Lagos Seeks 37, Akwa Ibom Missing from Lis
The National Assembly has reportedly received proposals for the creation of additional local government areas (LGAs) across Nigeria, with Lagos State seeking 37 new councils, while Akwa Ibom State is conspicuously missing from a published list of submissions.
The proposals, according to a report by The Insight Lens Project, cover various communities across the country’s six geopolitical zones and reflect demands for administrative restructuring, improved grassroots representation and better access to government services.
However, the complete list of submissions has not been independently verified, and the proposals do not constitute approval for the creation of new local government areas.
In the North-East, the reported requests include Bidoma and Michika South in Adamawa State, Boi-Tapshin in Bauchi, Banki in Borno, Cham in Gombe, Gudi in Yobe and Wukari in Taraba State.
In the North-West, the proposed areas reportedly include locations in Jigawa, Piriga in Kaduna, Dankama in Katsina, as well as Moriki and other communities in Zamfara State.
The North-Central zone also features in the reported submissions, with proposals covering Agasha and other communities in Benue State, alongside several areas in Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states.
In the South-East, the list includes Abiriba in Abia State, proposed councils around Obosi in Anambra State, several communities in Ebonyi State and numerous proposed local government areas in Imo State.
The South-West proposals reportedly include Eso-Obe and Gbonyin in Ekiti State, Ogijo and other areas in Ogun State, as well as additional proposed councils in Osun and Oyo states.
Lagos State stands out with a reported request for 37 new local government areas, although the published report did not provide the names and proposed boundaries of all the councils.
In the South-South, the reported proposals include Akassa and other communities in Bayelsa State, Ughievwen in Delta State, several areas in Edo State, and Ataba, Evo and Alesa in Rivers State.
Cross River State is also listed, with proposed councils around Mbube and Calabar. Akwa Ibom State, however, has no clearly identified entry in the published list, raising questions about whether the state submitted proposals or was omitted from the report.
Constitutional Requirements
The creation of new local government areas is governed by Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which prescribes a series of procedures involving consultations, a referendum, legislative approval and the submission of relevant records to the National Assembly.
The constitutional process must be completed before newly created councils can be recognised and reflected in the relevant constitutional schedules.
Consequently, proposals submitted by states or communities do not automatically translate into legally recognised local government areas.
The reported development comes amid broader constitutional review efforts by the National Assembly. In October 2025, the legislature reported receiving 278 requests for additional local government areas and 55 proposals for the creation of new states.
Nevertheless, the specific state-by-state submissions contained in the latest published list, including Lagos State’s reported demand for 37 additional councils and the absence of Akwa Ibom, remain subject to confirmation through official National Assembly records.
The proposals, if confirmed, could reopen discussions on administrative boundaries, grassroots governance and the constitutional procedures required for the creation of additional local government areas in Nigeria.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Mayor of Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ezennia Emelie Ibekwe, has issued a stern warning to traders and residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blockage of drainage channels, threatening sanctions against those who fail to comply with sanitation directives.
Ibekwe, who handed down the warning during an inspection of Ajasa Market, expressed displeasure over the deteriorating environmental conditions in parts of the commercial city, describing the situation as unacceptable and detrimental to healthy living and business activities.
During the inspection, the Mayor observed that refuse and other waste materials generated from market activities were being dumped into drainage channels, obstructing the free flow of water and exposing traders, residents and their properties to flooding.
“This practice contributes to flooding whenever it rains, putting traders, residents and their properties at risk.
“An environment of this nature is not conducive to business and healthy living. It does not speak well of a commercial city that houses one of the largest markets in sub-Saharan Africa,” he stated.
Consequently, Ibekwe directed traders and other persons responsible for the blocked drainage channels to ensure their immediate clearance, giving them until the following day to comply.
He further announced that he would return to the market for another inspection to ascertain the level of compliance with the directive.
“People should be alive to their responsibilities by ensuring a clean and healthy environment. Government alone cannot handle this effectively without the active participation of residents and traders.
“I am going to come back here to see what you have done,” he warned.
The Mayor stressed that the sanitation directive was not restricted to Ajasa Market but extended to all markets within Onitsha North Local Government Area.
He consequently charged market leaders to take responsibility for enforcing environmental sanitation regulations within their respective markets, warning that the council would no longer tolerate practices capable of worsening flooding and environmental degradation.
“It is not only Ajasa Market but all the markets in Onitsha North Local Government Area. Market leaders should ensure that this directive is not compromised,” Ibekwe declared.
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has commissioned a community market in Afi, Ikom II State Constituency, as part of his commitment to sustainable development and improved living conditions in rural communities.
The project, facilitated and completed by the Speaker, was identified as one of the priority needs of the community following consultations by the Constituency Needs Assessment Team established by Ayambem to evaluate infrastructure and identify projects that would directly benefit the people.
The team was mandated to identify critical infrastructure capable of improving the livelihoods of residents and promoting sustainable economic growth across the constituency.
According to community members, the absence of a suitable trading environment had been a major challenge for years, forcing traders to conduct business under harsh weather conditions, including rain and intense sunshine.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the village head, Chief Etta Ekawor, commended Ayambem for the intervention, describing the market as a miracle and a blessing that would transform the fortunes of the people.
In his remarks, Ayambem expressed appreciation to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, for his continued support for people-oriented projects and development initiatives across rural communities in the state.
He also thanked the people for their patience, support for his leadership and commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker was accompanied by the member representing Yala I State Constituency, Hon. Brian Odey; the Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Maurice Ndome; and the Assistant Financial Secretary of the APC in Cross River State, Hon. Akanya Agbor.
Other stakeholders from Nde Ward who attended the commissioning included the former Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Asinya Ntan, and the Community Relations Officer, Hon. Abang Neji.
Matthew Okache
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker
October 22, 2026
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