By Divine Sam
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has annulled an election held in Oba community, Idemili South Local Government Area, to elect a traditional ruler. The election was intended to replace the late monarch, Igwe PC Ezenwa, but it violated an ongoing court case regarding the matter.
TonyCollins Nwabunwanne, the commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Matters, announced that anyone found claiming to be the elected monarch or acting as the monarch-elect would be arrested. He emphasized that communities must adhere to the state’s guidelines and ensure that their elections align with their community’s constitution, which must be submitted to the state Ministry for approval.
The election in Oba was specifically cancelled because one candidate was disqualified for not meeting the constitutional requirement to be able to read and write, even though the constitution did not mandate fluency in speaking. Nwabunwanne reiterated that the government aims to remain neutral, with community elections being supervised to ensure peaceful and lawful transitions.
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