Electoral committee vows to conduct free, credible Igweship election in Anambra

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

The Akuzu Oba community Igweship Electoral committee, Idemili South local Government Area, Anambra State, led by Mr. Chinenye Ononye, has ended its screening exercise for the four candidates contesting for the Igweship throne.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that only two out of the four aspirants; Joseph Maduakonam Ejiofor and Samuel Odinamadu were screened, while Nze Ikechukwu Abafo, was absent.

It was gathered that one of the aspirant, Chinedu Emelobe who was physically present opted out on the ground that he received a letter from the mother union for discussion on same Igweship saga and as such would not submit himself for screening.

Speaking on the screening exercise, Ejiofor stated that the screening was successful and urged the committee not to relent in ensuring free, fair and credible primary election that will finally produce the Igwe-elect that will have the interest of the people at heart.

” We want to right the wrong by producing the right person, let the best candidate who will lead us well emerge, it must not be me, the screening committee is doing so well,” he stated.

Also, Odinamadu, commended the electoral committee for their efforts towards moving the community forward, adding that the screening exercise was successful.

He lamented that lack of a monarch in the community has deprived them a lot of things, stating that with God on the side of the people, a new monarch that will be for the interest of the people will emerge.

Responding, Emelobe who opted out, said, “We received a notice (letter) at the Civic centre with respect to the Igweship issue, so we should go first to President General, PG, also the screening committee should be 13 persons in number but what I see here is five, also representatives of Oba Progressives Union, OPU electoral committee are not here and the screening exercise is not in the constitution.

“So under which constitution are they screening the candidates. OPU meeting supercedes every other meeting and group. It is after hearing from OPU since it is on same Igweship issue, that we can now know of a date to come for screening of candidates,” he insisted.

Reacting, the chairman of the electoral /screening committee described the exercise as very successful and disclosed that date for the primary election will be made public in due course.

He however told Emelobe that the committee was doing the work as directed by the people of Akuzu Oba, adding that the mother union that is aware of the screening exercise did not write it, asking that the exercise be stopped.

“We have been having smooth screening exercise until Emelobe sent two proxies and we told them that the screening is not on proxy but physical appearance of candidates in question. Later Emelobe appeared and instead of submitting himself for screening like others, started asking us questions aimed at frustrating the exercise but luckily he was the last to be screened,” the chairman disclosed