TheCable

The Abia state government says it does not have a preferred candidate for the ‘Eze Aro’ traditional stool of the Arochukwu kingdom.

Uzor Nwachukwu, the Abia commissioner for LGA and chieftaincy affairs, said Alex Otti, governor of Abia, is only interested in ensuring peaceful co-existence in all communities of the state.

The Eze Aro traditional stool has been vacant since the demise of Ogbonnaya Okoronkwo, its last occupant, in 2020.

NAN reports that efforts to produce a new Eze Aro have been futile due to the “battle” between Idei Kanu and Eberechukwu Oji.

The commissioner urged the public to ignore insinuations that the governor has a preferred candidate in the Eze Aro tussle.

“His excellency, the governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti, does not have any interest in who emerges as Eze Aro,” Nwachukwu said.

“Gov. Alex Otti is only trying to ensure that the people obey the laws they instituted by themselves.”

He added that the people of Arochukwu have laid down rules and laws on how to select the next Eze Aro, with little or no interference from government.

He said the governor had engaged the warring parties in a peaceful dialogue, contrary to news making the rounds on social media.

“His excellency called these people, said, okay look, why don’t you sit down and resolve your issues? The two people came together and they were unable to resolve their issues,” Nwachukwu said.

“They went back and fixed different dates for coronation — one fixed his own on 24th the other on 26th and the state government said both of you cannot go ahead.”

Nwachukwu explained that the governor wrote a letter to the police to prevent the two individuals involved from performing any form of coronation, but unfortunately one of them still went ahead and had his coronation done in secret.

He said that in order for an individual to become the Eze Aro, he must emerge from any of the families that should produce the candidate for the position.

“There are two families in contention in this instance, and once the kingmakers screen those who have presented themselves, whoever they choose, they now present to the ‘Eze Ibom Isii’ whose duty is to do the crowning,” Nwachukwu added.

“The duty of the Eze Ibom Isii is to do the crowning, his duty is not to choose.

“Now the committee, whose duty it is to do the selection, finished with their selection and they had a candidate but the candidate they produced was not the one that the Eze Ibom Isii chose to crown.

“So at the time that the Eze Ibom Isii chose another candidate as against the people, whose traditional authority was to produce a candidate, they raised alarm and wrote a petition to the state government.”

According to Nwachukwu, the state the government had earlier asked the Eze Ibom Isii to cancel his decision and when he failed to do so, the state government suspended him for flouting the laws.

Nwachukwu added that an administrative panel of inquiry had concluded its assignment and submitted its report, which would be reviewed for a final decision.