By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka—-THE leadership crisis in Awka, Anambra State capital, worsened, weekend, with security operatives averting what could have led to a major confrontation between the contending parties.  Stakeholders in the community claimed that its former President General, Mr. Tony Okechukwu, whose tenure expired March this year, was hanging on to power and frustrating moves to conduct election for the emergence of a new leadership.

A general assembly of the community convened, yesterday, at Umuoranma Square by Awka Ambassadors Club, which had prominent Awka sons as members and which was attended by titled men, elders of the community and all male adults at home and abroad, unanimously rejected the leadership of the President General, insisting that his tenure had long expired.

They accused him of amending the constitution of the town to suit his bid to return to power for a second term, even though he knew that it was not right for him to return as doing so would contravene the constitution which brought him to office. Former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr.   Keluo Molokwu, who was at the meeting, said: “Our 2008 constitution which brought Okechukwu to power stipulates one term each for a person, and a rotational six years to the two zones of the town; Ezi and Ifite.

“We as members of Awka Ambassadors Club decided to convene Izu Awka(general assembly) after meeting with the parties involved, and we have agreed that he will no longer be our leader. ‘’A fresh election will be conducted, but we already have a seven-man committee in his stead to steer the affairs of the community.” Youths of the community who thronged the venue, denounced Okechukwu, stating that his leadership had brought no good to Awka and that for him to attempt to foist himself on them again against the constitution, bordered on selfishness.

Leader of the Youths, Obi Ochije, appealed to the state governor, Willie Obiano, to dissociate himself from Okechukwu in order not to tarnish his image and the good work he was doing in Awka. The secretary of Awka Ambassadors Club, Chief Emmanuel Okafor, who was the convener of the meeting, said the club had visited the parties in the crisis, but was not satisfied with the response it got from Okechukwu.