CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
After several years of power tussle over who sits as the President of the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos State between Chief Sunday Udeh and Chief Sunday Eze before peace was brokered, the gladiators ,Eze and Udeh may have returned to the trenches over election.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the latest battle is equally centered on who will eventually emerge as the President of the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos State between Eze and Udeh having been cleared to contest for the position in order to ensure lasting peace in the community.
That was part of the agreement reached by the General Assembly and endorsed by the Board of Trustees of Igbo Speaking Community led by Chief Jonathan Nnaji.
During the General Assembly meeting recently held at Surulere area of Lagos, it was resolved that Udeh and Eze were free to contest for the position as President but on the condition that if any of them emerges as President, he will only spend one tenure having paraded themselves as factional Presidents of the Igbo Speaking Community over the years.
At the meeting, it was also resolved any other persons who wants to contest for the position is free to do so in as much as such candidates meets the conditions stipulated by their Constitution.
It was confirmed that Chief Eze and Chief Udeh accepted the conditions and had already bought the form and declared their intentions to contest for the position of the president.
The fight appears more complicated as Udeh and Eze were said to be battling to install their loyal members to occupy some other elective positions such as the Deputy, General Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and others, so as to be in total control.
This was said to be heating up the community as Udeh and Eze were said to have marshalled out their propaganda machinery to reach out to Ndieze in Lagos State and every other Igbo leaders including market leaders.
The two gladiators threw the once peaceful Igbo Speaking community, Lagos State into crisis after both contested for the election, which was conducted during the administration of now Eze Ebere Ubani.
They formed factional Igbo Speaking Community, Lagos State and went to several Police Commands before they went to Court for legal battle, which has lingered for years before the truce.
Consequently, the BOT led by Nnaji moved in, dissolved and took over the association in line with their constitution but Nnaji was powerless as many members of the BOT were said to have died. The factions ignored directives from Nnaji, operated for several years and crowned Ezendigbo separately until peace returned recently.
P.M.EXPRESS is yet to confirm the date for the election but Eze and Udeh separately have confirmed that they are contesting for the position and have already started mobilizing their supporters.