Chief Chukwuma Ananti, a candidate in Oba Traditional Rulership contest has called for full implementation of the consent judgment which provides that the election into the position shall be based on zoning.
Ananti who made the call while speaking to newsmen in Awka, commended the Anambra government for voiding the Dec. 21, 2024 election.
Mr Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs who announced the cancellation of the election, said it was conducted against a pending matter in court and would not be recognised by the government.
Nwabunwanne said there was no traditional ruler or Igwe Cabinet in Oba Community because there is a pending court matter relating to the conduct of the traditional rulership election when it was conducted.
Ananti said that even though the said election was illegal and voided by the Anambra government, the beneficiary of the botched exercise was still parading himself with utter defiance.
Ananti further said that on receiving the cancellation notice by the Hon Commissioner, he made a video message informing all his supporters and his Isu Village that the election would no longer be held.
“But the President General went ahead to conduct a one-sided election,” he said.
Ananti said recommendations of the Anambra House Assembly public petition committee on the nullified election directed a fresh election in compliance with the principles contained in the consent judgement, which was by zoning.
He said the President General of Oba had shown demonstrable bias in the contest through his insistence to conduct the failed election in defiance to governments directive and refusal to implement the judgement on zoning.
He called on the President General to recuse himself from the exercise going forward and step aside as he and the people of Isu village were no longer confident in his neutrality and ability to conduct a free and fair election.
“The matter of Oba Igweship election was resolved through a ‘terms of settlement’ contained in the consent judgement which asked Oba people to continue and conclude the election according to the zoning arrangement.
“The Commissioner for Local Government in his wisdom called off the election because some people went to court but unfortunately the President General of Oba ignored the directive and went ahead to conduct the illegal election,” he said.
Ananti said the alleged illegality made the Regent of Oba to petition the Anambra House of Assembly public Petition Committee.
He commended the House of Assembly for their diligent investigation and recommendations on the matter which he said was consistent with the position of the executive arm of government and appealed for its full implementation.
“The honourable Assembly decried the President General’s recalcitrant attitude in all of this by his failure to inform the Oba people about the stoppage and cancellation of the purported election
“The House also condemned his lack of neutrality in the election process and this has tainted his capacity to conduct a free and transparent Igweship exercise having shown his partisanship,” he said.
