Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
People of Ndiowu community in Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State, have called for the annulment of a recent traditional ruler election in their community over the alleged exclusion of women from the voting process.
The election, which declared Chief Ben Chibuzor Okeke-Ifi, a US-based businessman, as the traditional ruler, was described as undemocratic and contrary to the community’s constitution.
In a peaceful protest at the New Government House (Light House) in Awka, community members numbering over 300 urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene and restore constitutional order in their land.
Bearing placards with inscriptions such as: “The stool of Ezediohamma Ndiowu is not for sale,” “Respect our right to choose,” “No to imposed election,” “Commissioner’s coup: respect our constitution,” “Women must vote, men must vote, youths must vote,” and “Soludo Solution, come and save our Eze stool,” they rejected the selection of Okeke-Ifi, stating that the process was imposed and illegal. They demanded a fresh election that adheres to the Ndiowu Town Union Constitution.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mazi Uchenna Iloh said Ndiowu has, for generations, upheld a rotational kingship system among the four traditional quarters in order of seniority. He noted that after the senior quarter assumed the stool in 2015, the Ufere quarter was next in line to hold the rotational position.
According to him, “The Ndiowu Traditional Rulers Constitution stipulates that both women and men must vote in the Igwe election, but this was ignored by the electoral committee supervised by the Commissioner for LGA and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, and the Orumba North LGA Chairman, Casmir Nwafor.
“Our Igweship election cannot be conducted without following Option A4 as stated in the constitution, which also allows women to vote. Nobody can abrogate the constitution except the Governor. Any election conducted under a ‘suspended’ constitution is illegal and subject to judicial challenge.
“If a constitution is abrogated, a new one must be enacted, as required by Anambra State chieftaincy law. The imposition of secret balloting contradicts our community’s agreed open ballot system known as Option A4, which ensures transparency.
“We are peaceful people, and we do not want violence in Ndiowu. That is why we came to Government House. Women have always voted in Ndiowu elections. It is unacceptable for the commissioner to suddenly say women should not vote or to introduce a secret ballot instead of Option A4, which our constitution provides.”
He added that the same commissioner approved the Ndiowu Constitution in 2024 and questioned why it was being set aside. “We are begging the governor to come to our aid and ensure a free and fair Ezeship election conducted strictly in accordance with our constitution,” he said.
Responding to the protesters, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, assured that the state government would prioritize peace and fairness in resolving the matter.
“We have just heard from you, which is one side of the story, but we cannot act on that alone, as there may be two or three components to this. The Permanent Secretary who supervises the Ministry of Local Government is here, as the Commissioner for the Ministry is not available.
“We have collected your submissions. We will review them, and I am sure the matter will be resolved. This is not the first community to raise issues like this, but we assure you that this is a solution-driven government. Whatever problem arises will be solved.
“I also want to urge you to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order in your community because, in the end, the problem will be resolved and Ndiowu will continue to exist,” he said.
“We are trying to ensure that incidents like these are minimized. What the governor is doing is to streamline the process so that we do not have constant cases of PG or Igweship election disputes in the state,” he added.
