Igbo Speaking Community Enmeshed In Power Tussle

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

This is not the best of time for Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos State as the members have really walked themselves into serious mess over power tussle.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the ugly situation has not only divided the Igbo Speaking Community into factions, they have two persons declared as presidents and different executives managing affairs of the organization founded several years ago that had united the Igbo in Lagos.
It was gathered that the brothers have become so divided to the extent that some aggrieved Igbo are blaming the immediate former President, Chief Ebere Ubani, for causing the whole problem in the organization he had peacefully managed for nine years.
The problem reportedly started on 31st August, 2019, when 20 local government areas assembled 10 delegates each to elect new executives at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The position of the president was contested among Chief Sunday Udeh, Patrick Mbah and Sunday Eze, who paid N300,000 each to contest for the position.
Accordingly to the Chairman of all chairmen of the 20 local government areas of Igbo Speaking Community that participated in the election, Chief Obinna Ugwu, each local government sent 10 delegates which was supposed to be 200 delegates but added that two delegates did not attend and it was 198 delegates that voted on that day.
“The election was peaceful and the delegates voted until the counting of votes when one of candidates brought in thugs to disrupt the counting but the ballot boxes for President, Deputy and General Secretary were secured and handed over to one of our respected leaders, Chief Chris Ekwilo, who kept it in his custody” he said.
However, things turned chaotic when the there was demand to conclude the election by counting the remaining votes. It was said that one Chief Jonathan Nnaji , who is a member of Board of trustees of Igbo Speaking Community, announced that the election has been cancelled and will conduct another election. However, he disqualified two candidates namely Patrick Mbah and Sunday Udeh while Sunday Eze was declared unopposed and the winner.

It was gathered that all the Chairmen of local government areas and the delegates that participated in the election had a meeting with the Ezes in Oshodi, Lagos, where it was resolved that Chief Ekwilo should bring the votes to be counted and the results were declared as follows: Chief Sunday Udeh, 112 votes, Patrick Mbah, 58 votes and Sunday Eze, 28 votes including other officers to the positions.
It was gathered that while the votes were being counted and it appeared that Chief Udeh would win the election, thugs suddenly surfaced and disrupted the counting process but the ballot boxes were secured and handed over to the outgoing president, Chief Ubani, who then handed the ballot boxes to chief Ekwilo for safe custody.
However, the mess started after Ekwilo asked Chief Ubani to fix a date for counting of the secured ballot boxes to declare winners, Chief Ubani was said to have declared that the votes were no longer valid.
Chief Ubani said that the Board of Trustees would take over the affairs of the organization and elects new leaders.
However, the Ezes and leaders of the local government areas, who participated in the election, insisted that the ballot boxes would be counted and had a meeting where Chief Ekwilo, who brought the secured ballot boxes, they were counted and Chief Udeh won as President. The legal adviser of the association then swore in Chief Udeh as President with other officers.
However, Chief Nnaji, who claimed to be a BOT member, conducted another election in the absence of Chief Udeh and Chief Mbah and declared Chief Eze as elected president of Igbo Speaking Community.

It was gathered that both Chief Udeh and Eze are claiming to the Presidents respectively, which led to threat of life and harassment of Chief Udeh.
The crisis was said to have taken a new dimension after Chief Eze and the electoral officer were arrested in connection with the crisis by the Police Operatives from Alagbon, Lagos, for their conduct over the lingering crisis.
They were later given administration bail and were expected to report to Alagbon for interrogation and possible prosecution.
It was gathered that Chief Nnaji and Chief Ubani were still at large and the Police were still expecting them in connection with the crisis.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the crisis have divided the Igbo in Lagos to the extent that the once organised association is now in shambles.