Mbaitoli LG Disbands Obazu Mbieri Electoral Committee
The authorities of the Mbaitoli Local Government Council in Imo State have intervened in the ongoing crisis within the Obazu Mbieri Autonomous Community by disbanding the Electoral Committee that was established last weekend to organize elections for the town union’s executive leadership.
The Council has stated that the formation of this committee contravenes the existing laws governing the administration of Town Unions within the state.
The Chairman of the Council, Honorable Ifunanya Nwanegwo, indicated that those responsible for establishing and inaugurating the committee made an error, as the tenure of the current town union executive has not yet concluded, citing a pending case at the Hight Court.
He proclaimed the electoral committee as ineffective from the outset, emphasizing that it cannot function or organize any elections without the express approval or permission of the council.
“Constituting and inaugurating an electoral committee for the Obazu Mbieri Community is null and void and holds no effect,” Honorable Nwanegwo informed National Newsbreak on Sunday during a telephone conversation.
He further stated, “The electoral committee lacks the authority to operate and cannot conduct any elections without the council’s approval. The committee is inactive from the outset.”
It is noteworthy that over the past decade, the traditional ruler of the Obazu Mbieri Community, His Royal Highness Eze Nze Francis Elendu Agunwah, has not participated in any meetings of traditional rulers within the council area and the state.
He is reportedly in poor health and resides in the United Kingdom, returning to Obazu only for vacations in January.
During his vacations, he typically spends one to two weeks in Obazu before returning to his residence in London.
When serious challenges arise, such as issues of insecurity, Eze Agunwah is absent and unable to stand with his subjects.
For instance, when a bomb blast occurred in Obazu, there was no communication from Eze Agunwah or his palace.
Consequently, the Obazu Town Union, led by President-General Chief Iheanyi Abaekwume, has called for the suspension of the royal leader, especially as individuals surrounding the throne have begun exploiting the traditional ruler’s absence and alleged incapacitation to create disturbances.
The presidents of the seven villages that comprise the Obazu Mbieri Community have also endorsed the call for the suspension of the traditional ruler, asserting that it is the most appropriate measure to restore peace and order within the community’s traditional leadership.
With the intervention of the Mbaitoli Local Government Council, it is anticipated that the crisis affecting the monarchy in the Obazu Mbieri Community will soon be resolved.
