Ihuezeofia leaders, commissioner biker over election of President-General

…says govt. not bias, took action on overriding public interest

By, Venica Uchechukwu, Enugu 

The leaders of Ihuezeofia village in Enuogu Autonomous community Nkerefi Nkanu East local government area Enugu and the Commissioner for chieftaincy and rural development, Charles Egungbe.have bickered over the alleged rising marginalization, misuse of office and biased in electing new president general of the Area.

The community leaders protested over the leadership tussle tricking the area, equally called on human rights organizations, civil society groups, and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in what they described as years of marginalization, intimidation, and exclusion from the affairs of the autonomous community.

The appeal was contained in a statement jointly signed on Wednesday  by the Chairman of Ihuezeofia Village, Comrade Edeson John Chukwudi; Secretary-General, Prof. Kenneth Ogbodo; Patron, Elder Augustine Orji; Senior Citizen, Elder Elijah Chukwu; and Elder Statesman, Dr. Boniface Ogbu.

According to the statement, the leaders expressed disappointment over what they described as the commissioner’s alleged failure to act impartially despite receiving a formal complaint through their legal representatives.

They alleged that certain influential individuals in the community, whom they claimed enjoy access to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, have continued to dominate community affairs to the detriment of Ihuezeofia Village.

The leaders further claimed that during a meeting with the commissioner in March 2026, they informed him of what they described as a plan by the immediate past President-General of the community and other stakeholders to prevent the conduct of elections for the office of President-General.

According to them, the commissioner informed them that some prominent members of the community had written to Governor Peter Mbah and that, based on the governor’s directive, no election would be conducted in the community until further notice.

Rather than convening a reconciliation meeting involving all parties, the community leaders alleged that the commissioner constituted a caretaker committee and appointed as its chairman one of the contestants for the office of President-General.

They argued that the appointment undermined neutrality, insisting that a non-partisan individual should have been selected to head the interim administration.

The stakeholders also maintained that Enuogu Autonomous Community comprises six gazetted villages, with an additional newly created village, and noted that every gazetted village had previously produced a President-General except Ihuezeofia Village.

According to them, it is now the turn of Ihuezeofia to produce the next President-General, but they alleged that certain influential interests have vowed to prevent that from happening.

The leaders further raised concerns over what they described as the existence of multiple constitutions governing the community over the past two decades.

They alleged that when they questioned the legality of the different constitutions, the traditional ruler and some community leaders obtained a court order declaring one version as authentic without consulting village leaders and other key stakeholders.

The community leaders appealed to relevant government authorities, human rights organizations, and other stakeholders to investigate their allegations and facilitate a peaceful, transparent, and inclusive resolution of the leadership dispute.

Responding, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Rural Development, Dr. Charles Egungbe, said that Enugu State government have no malice or bias mind in Ihuezeofia community leadership tussle rather took action in overriding public interest. 

It will be recalled that a factional leaders in Ihuezeofia village in Enuogu autonomous community, Nkerefi in Nkanu east local government area of  Enugu State recently issued a press statement  protesting over alleged marginalisation and misused of office by the Commissioner for chieftaincy affairs Enugu State, Charles Egumgbe.

The factional leaders claimed that during a meeting with the commissioner in March 2026, they informed him of what they described as a plan by the immediate past President-General of the community and other stakeholders to prevent the conduct of elections for the office of President-General.

According to them, the commissioner informed them that some prominent members of the community had written to Governor Peter Mbah and that, based on the governor’s directive, no election would be conducted in the community until further notice.

Rather than convening a reconciliation meeting involving all parties, the community leaders alleged that the commissioner constituted a caretaker committee and appointed as its chairman one of the contestants for the office of President-General

The Commissioner in his reaction noted that whatever decision the government took was for the interest of the public. Egumgbe noted that Nkerefi matter is an inherited issue from his predecessor 

According to him, “The truth is that there was already this issue of town union problem in Nkerefi before I resumed office. Nkerefi matter is an inherited issue, and from the brief, I discovered that they were having problems. 

I felt that if they were not disposed to having an election, there could be a caretaker committee so that the town administratively can be having some functions while we make peace.

He pointed that this group that were complaining was the first to came to his office during the few months of his second missionary journey in office. 

“In my own opinion I invited the other group so that I can have broader view of what was happening. They were not happy when I extended the meeting so that I can have many views.

“The other group were majority In number. They lamented that this group that has been complaining are trying to bring havoc to their community. 

They accused them of masterminding some security threat in the community.

“So the law allows us to appoint a caretaker committee and  I decided to do that to avoid vacuum. Ordinarily, we would have appointed them based on majority. 

The other group would have taken everything because they are majority, while the other group is minority but outspoken.

So I told them what I intended to do, just to make sure they are part and parcel of what is happening. I am not from their community to know the degree of enemity that have risen among them in that Nkerefi. 

I told both groups to give me important names of their members with a view to analyze their CV’s and decide on what to do. They gave me their names and CVS.

In this state no law excludes civil servants or member of any force from been a member of a town union. They are not excluded by any law. 

Eventually, when somebody’s name by virtue of my own analysis, their function and who to carry, emerge as Chairman. They said that the person is already contesting for the PG

The law said somebody must Chair the committee. The law also said that you should try and do representation of some of this villages. 

I do not have any hidden agenda. I told them what I want to do. Infact this group was the first that I started operating with until I saw the other group.

I appointed a member of the the other group as Chairman and their own member as Secretary and with other positions. I did not know they were not happy. 

At the end of the day, I heard that two of their group members said that they are not going to participate and left. I have to fill the gap so that the community will continue to operate. No individual will hold a community to ransom.

I am a human being, I am not perfect. What I am trying to do is to see that there is integration, which is Cardinal. To make sure that the majority does not squeeze them away. 

So I do not have any malice. I can identify their group members but cannot identify the other group because they were coming all the time.

If they said that the Chairman has a substantive job that he is doing, what I know is that there is no law that bared them. If the person have time to do it, so be it. 

I have friends who are permanent Secretary and they are PG’s in their town. It is not unlawful, not illegal. They do not know that I have a good training on this Job. 

We have issued a regulation that any caretaker Chairman will no longer contest election for substantive President General. 

They find it difficult to conduct election which is Cardinal for a PG to be put in place because they have limited time to do it and handover.

This was not made before this constituted committee. The regulation was made due to some caretaker committee Chairmen failing to conduct election in accordance with terms of reference and communities were having problems.

If I am dealing with four hundred and something communities, and two or three have a placard of unhappiness. It is not bad. 

They should know that I am a human being. They are small, but tougher and disturbing more than the other group. They have their freedom to complain.

Egumgbe furthermore speaking on the issue of which community constitution is authentic and the one that is not authentic said that it is not government business. 

According to him “As government, we do not decide on community constitution except the one we gazetted ourself. 

If both group were having challenges on the community constitution, and they went to court to ascertain the authenticity of a document which I did not know and did not impose on them.

If at the end, the court determined the one they will use as a community constitution in a way of law, I cannot interfere. 

Even though I am a lawyer. I use to step aside and allow a competent court to decide on the authenticity or legality of particular documents that can be used.