•Aggrieved contestant files suit

BY CHINENYEH OZOR, Nsukka

An uneasy calm pervades the Ihe/Owerre autonomous community in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State following the election of the community’s traditional ruler. The tension-packed election which was held on August 29, 2014 at Umunkaka Town hall, was supervised by the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftaincy Matters.

Two aspirants – Chief Ozioko George Asadu and Mike Omeje slugged it out in the election which was conducted by delegates from the various villages that make up the community.

•Mike Omeje

•Chief Ozioko George Asadu

• The election was allegedly won by Chief Ozioko George Asadu who polled 50 votes as against Mike Omeje who scored 34 votes.

But that is not the end of the story. Vanguard Metro, VM  learnt that soon after the election, the jubilant supporters of the winner sang and danced home while those of the loser went home very sorrowful. An aggrieved  Omeje told journalists that he would contest the eligibility of the winner to stand for the  election in the court of law.

Constitution disregarded
According to him, the Ministry which conducted the election disregarded the constitution of the community. He explained that the delegate voting system has never been used in any part of Nsukka before and wondered why the Ministry of Chieftancy Matters should use it in Ihe/Owerre autonomous community.

He further alleged that the application of the voting pattern was done in a bid to scuttle his chances of becoming the next monarch. “They knew if they had applied the rule of every eligible voter of 18 years and above, history would have been written in gold for me. Nothing will stop me from going to court to contest the eligibility of my opponent who does not possess the Ordinary -Level West African School Certificate, WASC nor  the General Certificate of Education, GCE as stipulated by the constitution of the community,” he said.

Asadu reacts
On his part,  an elated Ozioko George Asadu who was returned as the traditional ruler-elect e told newsmen that he was eligible to stand for the election, hence he scored a landslide victory over his opponent.

•In his manifesto which was made available to VM, he claimed that the he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC in 1956 at St. Joseph Primary School Nsukka. He later  joined the Nigerian Army on December 20, of the same year.

According to him, he obtained Nigeria Army Certificate of Education Stage III in 1961 before enrolling at the Royal West African Frontier Force Training School, Clerk Training wing Ghana in 1958. In August 1960, he went to the Nigeria Military Training College for Clerks in Kaduna and finally in 1962 was trained as army intelligence officer in Lagos.

Omeje files suit
Keeping to his vow of heading to court, VM learnt that Omeje Mike has filed a suit at the State High Court seeking to restrain the Nsukka Local Government Area and the Commissioner for Chieftancy Affairs, from forwarding the name of Ozioko George as the Igwe-elect of Ihe/Owerre autonomous community. The suit which was documented as E/405m/2014 also sought to stop the winner of the election from parading himself as the Igwe-elect.

In an affidavit in support of the motion, Omeje noted that section 8.2 (e) of the constitution of Ihe/Owerre autonomous community on selection of Igwe, an aspirant to the stool, must be literate with a minimum of WASC/GCE. He alleged that Ozioko George Asadu was not qualified to contest as he does not possess the minimum academic qualification, but he contested despite all admonitions to the contrary.

He explained that he was only informed of an election to the stool on August 18, 2014 through a letter from the officer of the Commissioner, arguing that Traditional Rulers Laws of Enugu State stipulates that appointment or selection of traditional rulers should be in accordance with the constitution of the community concerned.

The aggrieved Omeje stated that several representations he made to the President and Secretary of the Ihe/Owerre Development Union, Messrs Attama Daniel and Ozioko Baron, respectively, not to allow Ozioko George Asadu to participate in the election fell on deaf ears.
Hearing of the substantive suit has been tentatively fixed for October 13, 2014.