There is disquiet in Isiagu Akpawfu autonomous community, Nkanu East Council Area of Enugu State over alleged moves to impose a traditional ruler on the people.
Natives are accusing some persons of violating the community’s constitution with impunity.
Our correspondent gathered that even though the Igweship tussle is currently pending before the Court of Appeal, one prince Tony Okoye has already been given Certificate of Recognition and Return, a development that did not go down well with majority of the natives of the locality.
Speaking with newsmen on the development on Friday in Enugu, one of the contestants to the Igweship stool, Chief James Ede Ogbu said he was disqualified on the grounds that he was not a native of the autonomous community, an allegation he described as funny and laughable.
He said: “I’m from Obodo Onovo Nwowo and it is gazetted. Telling me that I’m not from the autonomous community made me to ask why this should be so?”
According to him, the purported omission of his family name (Ogbovu) in the community list was deliberate and a conspiracy aimed at stopping him from participating in the Igweship election.
Ogbu further stressed that the only way Igwe can emerge according to their constitution was through election and not imposition, insisting that there was no election that led to the emergence of Prince Tony Ike Okoye.
He noted that three contestants had earlier been screened and cleared by the electoral committee but was surprised when Okoye went to obtain an injunction that stopped the process.
Ogbu stated that he appealed against the judgment swiftly to correct the impression that he was not a citizen of the community.
He averred that he was surprised that while the case was still pending before the court, the Commissioner for Local Government , Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development, Chief Okey Ogbodo recognized Okoye as the traditional ruler of their community on 26th April, 2025 without conducting an election.
He appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to wade into the matter.
Corroborating Ogbu, the Assistant secretary of the town union of the autonomous community, Mr. Ibezimako Ede Stephen said the purported claim that Ogbu is not from the community was a lie from the pit of hell and appealed to the governor to come to their rescue in this matter.
“I’m saying this because conscience is an open wound that only truth can heal, we do not want the government to recognize anybody as Igwe for now.
“We have not gotten any Igwe, we want to choose our Igwe through an election,” he stated.
Efforts by our correspondent to speak with the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters was not successful, as his phone line could not go through as of the time of filing this report.
