BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka
Azia community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State is set to elect a brand new traditional ruler after 10 years of kingship imbroglio.
All roads therefore lead to the civic centre on 1st June, 2024 where 4 serious contenders for the traditional stool of Azia will test their popularity and acceptance amongst Azia people.
Recall that stakeholders from Azia community had gone to Government House Awka to seek government intervention in the Igweship battle rocking the community.
Government however resolved that the solution to the prolonged Igweship problem in Azia was for an election to be conducted inorder to get another Igwe that would replace Igwe P.M.C Ojuro who joined his ancestors many years ago.
Speaking exclusively with this journalist on the Igweship election of Azia community, the President-General of Azia Town Union, Dr. Nwabueze Tonna Ferdinand said adequate security arrangements have been made to forestall a breakdown of law and order during the process.
Nwabueze who thanked Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for his timely intervention in the Igweship tussle in Azia, said the community has met and a date has been fixed for the long awaited election where a new Igwe will eventually emerge.
He said that of the five villages in Azia, it was the turn of Umudiokpala village to produce the next king. That four strong contenders in the persons of Engr. Francis Okoye, Chief Francis Chikezie, Chief Felix Ifeanyi and Chief Azu Arinze of Umudiokpala village were all set for the contest.
According to him, the electoral panel has been formed and the right atmosphere for a free and fair election has been set up by the town union. He said that the rest of the community is looking forward to Umudiokpala village presenting the most successful candidate out of the four contestants after the election.
That after the election of the new traditional ruler, a date will now be fixed for the presentation of the new Igwe to the entire community in accordance with the 1976 constitution of the community.
He therefore added that all the contestants were properly investigated and thoroughly scrutinized by the electoral panel alongside the town union government and their findings revealed that none of the contestants to the traditional stool of Azia has any criminal records.
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