The Nkwoachara Autonomous Community, Thursday halted its process of selection of new traditional ruler due to “technical hitches”.
According to the Vice President General of Nkwoachara Improvement Union, Orji Ikechukwu “the selection/election of a new traditional ruler of the community has been suspended due to compelling technicality and controversies”.
It was discovered that of the three aspirants, two had participated in the process of selection in another autonomous community carved out from Nkwoachara, and now want to participate in the Nkwoachara ezeship selection.
Hence the need for them to denounce the citizenship of those autonomous communities and should approach the Umuahia North local government authorities for the withdrawal of their earlier option for the other autonomous communities, and “for them to go and validity their papers”.
According to the Orji Ikechukwu, some of the issues are with the LGA and needs to be retrieved, though they have earlier been screened.
According to him, though some irregularities were noticed, other unforseen issues cropped out, for example that of contesting for the stool in those two separate autonomous communities.
As a result therefore, of the three candidates, Okey Nwaubani, Mark Okwah and Charles Ukanwa Oji, two were given time to go and settle their irregularities to enable the election hold in a week’s time.
Tensions being high, break down of law and order loomed, and as such the suspension of the election became appropriate.
The autonomous community, after the death of its late traditional ruler, Eze D. N. Okezie has had after Umuawa Alaocha, Opara na Nkaru and Orieamaenyi autonomous communities carved out of it, and the contestants that had contested in these other communities, Opara na Nkaru and Orieamaenyi were therefore asked within three days to clarify their position by withdrawing their applications from the autonomous communities through Umuahia North LGA.
The contest was declared open to anyone who wants to seek election.
