From Ifeoma Ejiofor
The Azia community in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State on Saturday elected their new Igwe after waiting for nine solid years.
The newly elected monarch, Chief Francis Chikezie who got a total number of three hundred and eighty votes to defeat Chief Felix Ifeanyimuo who polled two hundred and seventy three and Chief Azu Arinze who got one hundred and sixty eight votes as well as Chief Francis Okoye who secured seventy seven votes.
The four candidates are from Umundiokpala village whose turn it is to produce the next king. The winner of the Saturday election would be presented to the entire Azia community in a yet to be announced date based on the constitution of the town.
Azia community has five villages.
The chairman of the electoral committee, Ohachosim Celestine Ikom of Department of Accountancy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka at the end of proceedings thanked all the contestants to the Azia royal throne for their peaceful disposition before, during and after the election.
He said as a matter of fact that the end result of the Saturday election was a manifestation of the diligent and transparent approach of the electoral committee.
“All the contenders are qualified to contest for the throne, based on the 1976 Azia constitution, we cannot screen anyone of them out, that is why the village whose turn it is to produce the next king had to do the election and present the winner to the entire community.
“The government actually ordered the election to elect the most popular person among the royal aspirants and I say with all satisfaction that Umundiokpala village has spoken, the election was free and fair, I am an Accountant and accountability was our watchword all through the process from the beginning to the end,” he said.
The President General (PG) of Azia, Dr Nwabueze Tonna at the end of proceedings thanked Umundiokpala village for their peaceful disposition through out the election process noting that the ultimate winner of the election is Azia community.
Also speaking, the Episcopal Vicar of Ozubulu region of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Very Rev Fr Hygi Aghulor commended the peaceful conduct of the election which according to him was highly organized and superb.
“The electoral committee performed excellently, the process was so transparent, if Nigeria elections are conducted in this way, nobody will be complaining, as you can see nobody is agitated.
“The agents of the persons who did not make it voluntarily and willingly signed the result forms because it was evident, from the accreditation that started yesterday, people filed on the line peacefully, and all through the election process today, there was neither violence nor acrimony, it’s a positive development for Azia.
“You can see people singing, dancing and rejoicing, you don’t see them talking down about anybody. This phase has ended, the next phase is getting people together to move Azia forward, we don’t have another place we can call our own,” he asserted.