Anambra state Governor Willie Obiano to
intervene as a matter of urgency to restore
normalcy to the state capital city president
general squabble.
They alleged the outgoing President General of
Awka Development Union of Nigeria (ADUN), Mr.
Tony Okechukwu planning to perceptual himself
in office, after serving his constitutional tenure of
single term of three years , allegedly conspiring
with the Awka traditional ruler, Igwe Gibson
Nwosu, the Eze-Uzu II of Awka to altercate the
constitution in the bid to serve two term in office.
Addressing journalists in Awka, the secretary of
Izu-Ozo Group in Awka, a group of titled men in
Awka, Dr. Aneze Chinwuba said Awka constitution
does not provide for tenure elongation, adding
that Okechukwu has ceased to be the PG for
Awka since March 17, 2015. He said: "Our
constitution says that election of new PG must be
conducted three months to the expiration of the
tenure of the incumbent, but Okechukwu started
talking about the election after Awka people had
started complaining about the sit tight attitude of
the PG.
"He wanted an extension and was telling people
that he needed more time to organize the
election, which was why three different groups in
Awka wrote the state government to object the
suggestion for the extension." In the midst of the
confusion, the Izu Awka, an assembly of all Awka
people, met and insisted on the appointment of
caretaker committee, pending the conduct of the
election in May as directed by the state
government.
According to Chinwuba, we first visited the eldest
man in Awka who blessed everybody before the
meeting was held at Obu Awka, with all the
branch presidents of Awka Development Union
Nigeria in attendance, adding that it was at that
meeting that seven persons were selected to
serve as members of the caretaker committee.
Chinwuba said further: "We have written the state
governor, notifying him of the decision of Awka
people. Awka is against tenure elongation and if
anybody tells Okechukwu that he will stay beyond
his tenure, that person is merely encouraging
tenure elongation which is not in our constitution.
"The seven persons that have been selected as
caretaker committee members are standing by for
the governor to approve their nominations."
On his part, the former President General, Awka
Development Union of Nigeria, Lagos branch,
Chief Okafor Emmanuel corroborated the
allegation leveled against the incumbent PG of
Awka, Mr. Tony Okechukwu, said he had on many
occasion requested them to learn support to his
tenure elongation, described the act as
unconstitutional and against their 2008
constitutional amendment position that provides
for a single term of office for two major clan of
Awka district that ''I am surprised that the
Traditional stool of Awka community does not
seem to recognise the body, As I speak with you
now, all the branches of ADUN in Lagos,
Abuja,Enugu, Onistha, Port Harcourt, Warri,
Sapele, you can name it, have concluded plans
to boycott the purported May 15 th election, all
the branches have been holding meetings and we
have seen the hand writing on the wall, because
the former PG has refused to follow due
procedure of doing things,he saw that his tenure
is running out of him and he started making
frantic moves to adopt the 2014 constitution, the
2014 constitution we are talking about is almost
thesame in content, the only area he touched is
the area that consign election and tenure of
office.''
''The 2008 constitution that brought him into
office, stipulates that he has one tenure of three
year , when he saw that he does not have any
chance of contesting again, he now ran into
amending the constitution and was trying to pass
it into law before the time now ran out of him'.
'' What we are saying is that he is no longer the
president General for Awka Development Union of
Nigeria and he should desist continue to parade
himself as the PG of Awka'' He Handed down the
charge.
Also speaking, the serving deputy president
General of Awka Development Union of Nigeria,
Barrister Raphael Onyibo Nzekwe who
condemned the action of his PG and resolved the
committee should move against his
actions; ''Before the expiration of this tenure, he
tried to manipulate the constitution to elongate
our tenure, because, he wanted to contest when
the constitution says no, we were elected for a
single term of three years in office and the
constitution is very clear of that''
'Constitution says you don't contest again for the
post you have held before, so he now purported
to amend the constitution by removing those
clauses which says you cannot contest for the
same position again, In that constituion of 2008,
Awka is divided into two sections, Ezi and Ifite, in
Ezi, we have three communities, Amikwo, Agulu
and Ezi-Awka, there are some villages in these
three communities, in Ifite, we have also about
four communities, we have Amachala-Nnato,
Ayomnokpala, Ukwelle and Ifite-Awka'.
''The constitution says, each quarter where the
President General and Deputy President General
is zoned, the two zone cannot stay for more
than two tenure in each quarter , so our case in
question is Honourable Emeke Nwogbo has
served as the President General of ADUN and he
is from Umunoke Village Awka, he had stayed
about two years before he won election into the
Federal House of Representatives , he therefore
left for the Federal House of Reps., then after him,
we still allow the people from Ifite, then
Okechukwu now emerged , nobody from the Ezi
quarter contested with him and then Engineer
Tony Okechukwu won for the tenure, then he has
completed the two term the constitution allowed
for Ifite people ''
''Then any further elections that shall be
contested for the post of President General and
deputy president General shall equally be zoned,
it is now the turn of Ezi quarters to produce the
President General while Ifite will produce the post
of deputy president General. The former PG has
purportedly amended the constitution to read
that; somebody who has held a particular
position can still re-contest for the same position,
now he is worming up to contest, when the two
terms allowed for their people have elapsed or
has been exhausted , so these are the burning
issued in Awka, so today now, he still planning to
hold election on the 15th day of May, 2015,
despite the fact that the polity is heated, in fact, if
he allows election to hold on 15 th day of May,
heads may roll, am just telling you the truth we
are just holding our youths so that there would
not be any bloodshed'' He charged.
Report gathered had it that the governor of
Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano through the
state ministry of Local Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs issues statement in a date
earlier before the National General Election and
read thus: "Please kindly note that in view of the
upcoming general elections in the country, there
is the compelling need to maintain peace and
order in all the communities in the state.
Consequently, all town union elections will be
kept on hold until after the conduct of the general
elections.
"This policy implies that Awka Development
Union election scheduled for March 7, 2015 has
been suspended in this circumstance. In the light
of the above, the present Awka Development
Union executive should hold forth, while the town
union election shall be conducted within the first
half of the month of May, 2015."
Though Okechukwu and his team had concluded
arrangements to conduct the election on March 7,
2015, it had to shelve it following a letter signed
by the special adviser to the Anambra State
governor on chieftaincy and town union matters,
Mr. R.O. Udemba, directing that all town union
elections should be put on hold.
The letter from government reads: "Please kindly
note that in view of the upcoming general
elections in the country, there is the compelling
need to maintain peace and order in all the
communities in the state. Consequently, all town
union elections will be kept on hold until after the
conduct of the general elections.
"This policy implies that Awka Development
Union election scheduled for March 7, 2015 has
been suspended in this circumstance. In the light
of the above, the present Awka Development
Union executive should hold forth, while the town
union election shall be conducted within the first
half of the month of May, 2015."
However, a section of the community, apparently
not aware of the government's directive, held a
meeting in Awka during which they accused the
PG of trying to perpetuate himself in office after
the expiration of his tenure on March 17, 2015.
Responding to the allegation, Engineer Tony
Okechukwu debunked the allegation and regarded
it as baseless and a figment of Imagination by
desperate people trying to truncate the peace
Awka have long been enjoying under his tenure,
he related the reason to the delay in conduct of
the election to a directive sent by the special
adviser to the Anambra State governor on
chieftaincy and town union matters, Mr. R.O.
Udemba, directing that all town union elections
should be put on hold, stressed that the teamhad
concluded arrangements to conduct the election
on March 7, 2015,but it had to shelve it following
Governor's directive.
Engineer Okechukwu also blamed their threat on
an earlier date action of his mother who was
condemned for puring sand on the husband's
grave, and the said issue has been determined
upon bythe church and a court of competent
jurisdiction which is tantamount to contempt of
court, the dust-dust issue that happened in 2012
is still fresh in their mind, and they now see it as
an opportunity to it back as me for my re-
election bid.''
'If they insist we go by the Ifite axis position, that
means I will now contest afresh tenure for our
second term of office, because Honourable Emeke
Nwogbo's tenure was abridged by his political
ascension to the house of representatives.''
Okechukwu explained.
His Royal Majesty, Eze Gibson Nwosu dissociated
himself from the brewing crisis and stated he
was bent on making sure they have peaceful
transition from one administration to another, but
was disappointed that his efforts were now
regarded as an act of conspiracy against the
interest of Awka Kingdom.
His Word, 'I don;t have any interest in any
candidate, mine as the traditional ruler of Awka
was to ensure peace in maintained and see that
who ever emerges as the President General of
Awka, under a free and credible election, my duty
is to present the person to the governor as our
new PG.'
'Why would some people take pride in causing
disharmony in a peaceful community like Awka
and I want to urge them to give peace a chance
and allow anyone eligible candidate to participate
in the socio-cultural exercise''. Igwe Said.
Only time would tell if the aspiring team would
allow for a peaceful election as proposed by the
outgoing administration, against the allegation of
purported tenure elongation by the President
General of Awka Development Union of Nigeria,
Engineer Tony Okechukwu.
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