Eze Ndi Igbo Not Dethroned —Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo in C’River

Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, a socio-cultural Igbo group has debunked reports about the alleged dethronement of Eze Igbo  in Cross River State, Chief Emmanuel Ezenwenyi.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday in Calabar, the President General of Igbo community in Cross River, Obi Onyeka said that all the 13 chapters of Igbo bodies in Cross River are united, adding that claims of dethronement of Eze Igbo are false.

He said claims by its allegedly suspended acting President, Mr Ugoji Nwabueze, that the Eze Igbo in Cross River has been dethroned exist only in Nwabueze’s  imagination.

“Mr Nwabueze was vice president who became acting president when the erstwhile president died. However, the  state executive was dissolved in a meeting held on 12th December, 2020 after its tenure expired in May, 2020 and the elected officials ceased to function from that day,” he said.

According to him, Nwabueze’s suspension from the organisation made him to claim that Eze Igbo in Cross River has been dethroned.

“A meeting of Ohaneze Igbo which held on the 20th of March, 2021 suspended him from the organisation so he has no powers to dethrone Eze Igbo whose installation far precedes his tenure and by the way in what capacity did he dethrone Eze Igbo? Is he a chief or kingmaker?” he asked.

He said the crisis started in the wake of the controversial disbursement of the sum of N20 million given to the organisation by Governor Ben Ayade in 2019, part of which was used to buy two buses for the union without approval by the union.

“Several letters were written to him as the acting President  to convene a meeting for election to be conducted having served his four years tenure  but he never heeded so the elected executive was dissolved and an interim executive set up,” he said.

In his reaction to the alleged suspension, Nwabueze said he cannot be suspended, adding that the Ohaneze constitution has provision for an interim executive and therefore his suspension is illegal. 

He said he withdrew the certificate of coronation of the Eze Igbo in the state following the instruction of South East traditional rulers.

“The South East Traditional Rulers Council has mandated me to officially withdraw the certificate I had issued under duress to crown Eze Ndi Igbo in Cross River. It is obvious I do not have such capacity to install anyone since my roots do not draw from royalty.

“The error of issuance of Certificate of title of Eze Ndi Igbo by me is regretted. Anyone parading himself as such remains an impostor,” he said.

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