Anambra State Government has announced the cancellation of an election purportedly held by Oba community in Idemili South Local Government Area to elect a traditional ruler.
Since 2018, when Late Igwe Peter C. Ezenwa, EzeOkpoko 1 of Oba passed on to the great beyond, Oba community has hoped for a peaceful transition without bloodshed to having the EzeOkpoko II.
After six years of uncertainty, litigations and counter litigations with various stakeholders and groups singing discordant tunes, causing tension and heating up the polity, the community over the weekend, elected Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe as their Igwe Elect to occupy the vacant EzeOkpoko throne.
But the state government is saying that the purported election held on Saturday, in violation of a matter that is still being determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, which was instituted by some interested person in the matter.
The commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Matters, Hon TonyCollins Nwabunwanne who disclosed this to journalists, in his office in Awka, said anyone found parading himself as the monarch of Oba community or a monarch-elect will be arrested, as the purported election holds no water.
Nwabunwanne while briefing journalists said: “It is Christmas again, and our people have started coming home for the yuletide. This is the time when many communities organize events and give out Chieftaincy titles, and also hold elections to choose their Presidents General and traditional rulers.
“But we are using this opportunity to tell the leaders of communities that there are established guidelines by the state for the conferment of chieftaincy titles, and also election of presidents general and traditional rulers.
“This is for us to have control and harmony in the state. This government have said communities can choose who they feel to be their kings or PG, but they must follow the laid down guidelines of the state and also the constitution of the various communities.”
The commissioner said as a way of ensuring this, all communities in the state must submit their constitutions to the ministry so that officials will ensure that every election conducted follows the law made by the community itself.
On why it canceled the election of an Igwe in Oba community, Nwabunwanne said one of the candidates for the position was disqualified for the reason of not being able to speak fluently, whereas the constitution simply stipulated that the candidates must be able to read and write, but did not say he must be fluent.
“So, for this we initiated a process which is that every community must submit their constitution to us. So that when they want to conduct elections or selections, we supervise the process and ensure peace to ensure a seamless transition.
“A case at hand is Oba, we as a government we are trying to be neutral and disabuse our minds of such things as being biased. Parties are still in court, so you can not hold elections.
“The election has been annulled and anyone parading himself as the traditional ruler of traditional ruler-elect will be arrested and we have told all the security agencies.”
Nwabunwanne maintained that the Ministry did not monitor the said election and had communicated the community’s town union, but they went ahead and conducted the election.
He maintained that the traditional rulership election would be conducted when the community was able to resolve the matter in court amicably.
