Soludo Moves To Resolve Abacha Town Union Crisis

The leadership crisis rocking Abacha community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has taken a fresh dimension, as Governor Chukwuma Soludo has assured that no part of the state will be allowed to dominate the other under his administration.

The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Okechi Egbuna, gave the assurance when he addressed aggrieved people of the Akanator section of Abacha on behalf of the governor. The protesters defied heavy rainfall to storm the Light

House in Awka on Tuesday, alleging domination and a breach of trust against the people of the Umudisi section of the town.

Narrating the grievances of his people, the leader of the Akanator section, Chief Jonas Okafor, said the Abacha community comprises two sections: Akanator and Umudisi. He lamented that despite Akanator having four of the seven villages in the town, the reigning traditional ruler and the Onowu, Traditional Prime Minister, both hail from Umudisi.

He added that on 31 October 2026, the Umudisi section allegedly produced the President-General of the community from among themselves through a manipulated town union election.

Okafor recalled that when the immediate past administration of Chief Willie Obiano dethroned about 12 traditional rulers, the then traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Godwin Mbakwe, was affected. He said that because Igwe Mbakwe sued the state government in court over his dethronement, the Obiano administration did not reinstate him along with others who were pardoned.

He said by virtue of the kingship rotation arrangement in Abacha, it would have been the turn of the Akanator section to produce the next king to replace the dethroned Igwe Mbakwe.

He, however, said that because Igwe Mbakwe alleged that the people of Akanator were responsible for his dethronement, stakeholders of the section, in order to prove their innocence, decided not to produce his replacement. He said that at a meeting of stakeholders of the entire Abacha community, it was resolved that the traditional stool would be retained by the Umudisi section, and indeed by Igwe Mbakwe’s village, adding that this was how the current traditional ruler, Igwe Godwin Nwabunwanne Odiegwu, was enthroned.

Okafor further said that during the stakeholders’ meeting, it was agreed that since the traditional rulership and Onowu stools are held for life, the position of President-General of the town would be exclusively reserved for the Akanator section, and would rotate among Akanator’s four villages of Umuekpeli/Logba, Umuazu, Ubuma and Umuokpolonwu whenever the tenure of the incumbent expired.

He lamented that during the 31 October town union election, that “gentlemanly and brotherly agreement was betrayed by the Umudisi section, leading to the section, through a manipulated election, foisting a President-General on the town from the same Umudisi section.”

Addressing the Akanator people after listening to their grievances, the Deputy Chief of Staff described their case as “a serious matter”, adding that “the case of Abacha community is already being looked into by the state government.”

Although the governor’s aide assured the Akanator people that he would convey their complaints to Soludo, he advised them that the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs oversees town union matters.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters, including men, women and youths, read: “President-General will remain in Akanator for power to balance because Igwe is for life”, “There was unsigned written agreement for this power distribution”, “Today, the new PG is supposed to come from Akanator, now his village is holding Igwe, Onowu and PG”, “Anambra Govt should not recognise ADU election of 31 October 2026”, and “90 percent of Abacha community boycotted the 31st October town election”, among others.