Governor nullifies election of new traditional ruler in Anambra community
The government has given reason for its decision.
The Anambra State Government has said that the Oba community in Idemili Local Government Area of the state does not have a traditional ruler at the moment.
TonyCollins Nwabunwanne, the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said this at a news conference in Awka on Monday.
The people of Oba had allegedly conducted an election for a successor to their Igwe, Peter Ezenwa, who died in 2018.
Mr Nwabunwanne said no election allegedly conducted by the community was known to the government, which had full supervisory power over community and union matters.
He said that a subsisting matter was pending in court, stopping the conduct of the election into the traditional ruler’s seat of the Oba community, and the government would not recognise any exercise in contempt of court.
He said the government did not supervise the process as the law demanded because it was conducted in contempt of Court.
“As of today, there is no traditional ruler or Igwebuike Cabinet in Oba Community. There is a subsisting matter in court which barred the conduct of traditional ruler election before us, and until that matter is dispensed with, there can be no election.
“The Anambra government is hereby issuing a bench warrant on anybody parading himself as the traditional ruler of Oba Community, such a person should be arrested by the security agencies,” he said.
Mr Nwabunwanne said that the Anambra State Government would do all that was necessary to ensure peace, security and social order.
He insisted that communities must respect the laws of the state and the constitutions they made for themselves.
(NAN)
