By Chukwudi Ebele
After six years of uncertainty, litigations and counter litigations with various stakeholders and groups singing discordant tunes, causing tension and heating up the polity, Oba Community in Idemili South LGA, Anambra State has elected Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe as their Igwe Elect to occupy the vacant EzeOkpoko throne.
Since 2018, when Late Igwe Peter C. Ezenwa, EzeOkpoko 1 of Oba passed on to the great beyond, Oba community has hoped for a peaceful transition without bloodshed to having the EzeOkpoko II. This quest has met several brick walls and oppositions both from within and outside the community but they decided to take the bull by the horns to choose their Traditional Ruler despite advice from the Anambra State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs to defer the Igweship election.
However,on December 21, 2024 out of the two candidates who reportedly met all the Oba constitutional requirements after the Igweship selection/election screening process Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe from Okuzu village,Oba emerged winner with 1,135 votes as against his opponent, Chief Barr. Sir Vincent Ananti from Isu village, Oba who boycotted the election.
According to the result announced by the Returning officer/Electoral Committee Chairman, Pastor Onochie Emekaekwue, 1,420 eligible voters who came for the election from the Nine villages/quarters of Oba were accredited. There are 1,187 valid votes and 32 invalid votes. Engr. Augustine Chiedu Emelobe polled 1,135 votes while Chief Barrister Vincent Ananti polled 20 votes. I hereby declare Chief Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe as winner of the election and the Igwe Elect of Oba community.
In his acceptance speech, Engr. Augustine Chiedu Emelobe thanked the electoral Committee, Oba Patriotic Union OPU Executive, people of Oba community for a successful election pledging to work together with other Igweship aspirants and everyone to bring peace and progress in the community.
“Today marks a new dawn in the history of Oba as a town. Oba people came together as one to exercise their right of choice through a transparent election and have chosen Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe as the EzeOkpoko II of Oba.
“I thank the OPU , Mayor Idemili South LGA, Hon Amaka Obi and Anambra State Governor,Chukwuma Soludo. I thank all those who made this election a success. Let the aggrieved calm down,let us come together and move Oba forward. So that we can get more developmental projects for our town,” said Emelobe.
In their seperate speeches the duo of OPU Vice President II, Hon Ogonna Ndozie and OPU Secretary General, Nze Nwabueze Emebo thanked God for a peaceful election saying that finally the choice of the people have been elected through a transparent election. “Kingship is not contested but from divine. Oba people are happy today because our Igwe Elect Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe has come to unite Oba people”.
Former Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Barr. Emeka Anyaenetu urged the Government of Anambra State to allow and uphold the choice of the majority of Oba people on the matter of who they want as their Traditional Ruler.”I urge the Government of Anambra State to recognize Engr Augustine Chiedu Emelobe since he is the person that Oba people want”.
However, Earlier before the election, Chief Barr. Sir Vincent Ananti in a viral video announced that he was not going to take part in the election urging his followers to boycott the election saying that the state government has cancelled it.
“As I said yesterday, Government has cancelled this election being prepared because the ‘Terms of Settlement in the recent judgement shows that Oba constitution should be amended to be effective. As a lawyer, I will not disobey the government. So as it stands, I am not contesting in this election. I beg my supporters not to bother themselves by going to vote for me because the Government which should recognize what we are doing said that what we are doing now is cancelled,” said Ananti.