Controversy trails Ibollo Obosi Landlords Association election in Anambra

…..as members re-elect Ezenwoau as new chairman

….. Chairmanship aspirants shun election, reject Ezenwoau as chairman 

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha 

Controversy has trailed the election of Ibollo Obosi Landlords Association, Idemili North Local Government area of Anambra State, which produced Ikenna Ezenwosu as it’s new chairman.

Ezenwosu was re-elected as the incumbent chairman to pilot the affairs of the association for the next four years.

But, other chairmanship aspirants who had shunned participation in the election, described the election that produced Ezenwoau as it’s chairman as kangaroo.

Addressing newsmen, the duo chairmanship aspirants; Augustine Okafor and Sylvester Nnaji, said that they and other aspirants contesting for various positions shunned the election following a sudden change of date of election, from 17 to 9 May 2025, with the exception of those candidates in the lineup of Chief Ezenwosu.

According to them, “Today they conducted kangaroo election because the BOT chairman , Oliver Onwudiwe told us that election for the association was billed for 17 May 2025 and all of a sudden they changed the date to Friday 9 May  that is a working day instead of Saturday so that everyone will be around.

“We kicked against the 9 May because we generally accepted 17 May, we are not against conduct of election but against the sudden change of date. We informed the PG Obosi Urban, Emeka Asomugha, Igwe Chudubem Iweka of Obosi and the DPO of Awada of the sudden change that we only know of 17 May 2025.

“They want to maneuver us and we kick against it, there will be no election until that 17 May, any election conducted outside 17 May is a kangaroo election,” they affirmed.

Also the duo of Elder Uwakwe Peter, general secretary of the association, and Nwankwo Sunday Okechukwu, who is contesting for financial secretary, blamed the president general of Obosi Urban, Asomugha, of using his position to influence the change of date for the conduct of the  election to suit his candidates to win the election.

Okafor and his cohorts in a protest against the conduct of the  election carried placards with the inscriptions, “No conduct of election on 9 May 2025, any election that is not on 17 May is kangaroo election, PG Obosi Urban and electoral committee influenced the conduct of the election to suit their candidates, non landlords of Ibollo hired for election,” among others.

When Contacted on phone, the president general, Asomugha, who was conspicuously absent from the election arena, denied the allegations leveled against him and told newsmen that he wanted to be present but was so pre occupied by more pressing issues.

In his post election speech, the incumbent chairman who emerged victorious said everybody was aware of change of date of election from 17 to 9 May 2025, adding that they were given three weeks ahead of the election and wondered why some contestants said the election was sudden.

“The electoral committee told us election was for 17 May and later for reasons best known to them called us and said the date has been changed to 9 May, giving us three weeks to prepare.

“So all the candidates for the election were here but when the chairmanship candidates saw that my line up (voters):was more than their own when we were called to queue  up for the election because it was option A4 system of voting, they left the election arena.

“In leadership from my experience, you have to bring everyone along to forge ahead. I am the only one that has been elected for second tenure since the inception of this association. Formerly there were crises here and there until I came in and restored sanity, developed the area and I am going to do more,” he vowed.

Reacting, the chairman, BOT, Oliver Onwudiwe, described the election as free, fair and credible, stating that all the candidates participated in the election.

On the sudden change of election date he said, “The electoral committee said 17 May earlier, but circumstances may be for conveniences and logistics, made them to change it to 9 May 2025 and everyone was duly informed.

“Those who are having grudges should know it is a family affair and embrace peace for the rapid infrastructural development of the area as no condition is permanent,” he pleaded.

In his own contribution, the chairman of the electoral committee, Emmanuel Okpo, while admitting that sudden change of date of election disfranchised scores, said that the conduct of the election on 9 instead of 17 was not acceptable to him but that he has to conduct the election because.the president general of Obosi Urban, Asomugha has ordered that the election must take place on the 9 May 2025.

“To be frank the election was not as expected because we said 17 May and many believed the 17 May. The sudden change made scores not to be around, we tried to put it on Saturday so that people will be around but the order said it must be 9, Friday, that is working day and I don’t have any option than to obey the order,” he lamented.