By Juliana Nwachukwu
The election of Ibollo Landlords Association, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State which re-elected the incumbent chairman, Chief Ikenna Ezenwosu, to pilot the affairs of the association for the next four years has been described as a kangaroo election by the other two Chairmanship candidates
Addressing newsmen, the duo chairmanship candidates, Chiefs Augustine Okafor and Sylvester Nnaji, said that they and other candidates contesting for various positions shunned the election arena following sudden change of date of election from May 17 to May 9, 2025, with the exception of those candidates in the lineup of Chief Ezenwosu.
According to them, “Today they conducted kangaroo election because the BOT chairman , Oliver Onwudiwe told us that election for the association was billed for May 17, 2025 and all of a sudden they changed the date to May 9 that is a working day instead of Saturday so that everyone will be around.
“We kicked against the May 9 because we generally accepted May 17, we are not against the conduct of election but against the sudden change of date. We informed the PG Obosi Urban, Chief Emeka Asomugha, Igwe Chidubem Iweka of Obosi and the DPO of Awada of the sudden change that we only know of May 17.
“They want to maneuver us and we kicked against it, there will be no election until that May 17, any election conducted outside it is a kangaroo election,” they affirmed.
Also the duo of Elder Peter Uwakwe, Secretary General of the association, and Nwankwo Sunday Okechukwu, who is contesting for the post of Financial Secretary, blamed the PG, Obosi Urban, Asomugha, of using his position to influence the change of date for the conduct of the election to suit his candidates to win the election.
Chief Okafor and his cohorts in a protest against the conduct of the election carried placards with the inscriptions, “No conduct of election on May 9, 2025, any election that is not on May 17 is kangaroo election, PG Obosi Urban and electoral committee influenced the conduct of the election to suit their candidates, non landlords of Ibollo were hired for the election,” among others.
Contacted on phone, the PG, Asomugha, who was conspicuously absent from the election arena, denied the allegations leveled against him and told newsmen that he wanted to be present but was so preoccupied by more pressing issues.
In his post election speech, the incumbent chairman who emerged victorious said,”Everybody was aware of change of date of election from May 17 to May 9, 2025, adding that they were given three weeks ahead of the election and wondered why some contestants said the election was sudden.
“The electoral committee told us election was for May 17 and later for reasons best known to them called us and said the date has been changed to May 9, giving us three weeks to prepare.
“So all the candidates for the election were here but when the chairmanship candidates saw that my line up (voters) was more than their own when we were called to queue up for the election because it was option A4 system of voting, they left the election arena.
“In leadership from my experience, you have to carry everyone along to forge ahead. I am the only one that has been elected for second tenure since the inception of this association. Formerly there were crises here and there until I came in and restored sanity, developed the area and I am going to do more,” he vowed.
Reacting, the Chairman, BOT, Dr. Sir. Oliver H. Onwudiwe, described the election as free, fair and credible, saying that all the candidates participated in the election.
On the sudden change of election date he said, “The electoral committee said May 17 earlier, but circumstances may be for conveniences and logistics, made them to change it to May 9, 2025 and everyone was duly informed.
“Those who are having grudges should know it is a family affair and embrace peace for the rapid infrastructural development of the area as no condition is permanent,” he pleaded.
Contributing, the chairman of the electoral committee, Emmanuel Okpo, while accepting that sudden change of date of election disfranchised scores, said that the conduct of the election on 9 instead of 17 was not acceptable to him but that he has to conduct the election because the PG Obosi Urban, Chief Asomugha has ordered that the election must take place on May 9, 2025.
“To be frank the election was not as expected because we said May 17 and many believed the date. The sudden change made scores not to be around, we tried to put it on Saturday so that people will be around but the order said it must be Friday 9, that is working day and I don’t have any option than to obey the order,” he explained.
Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
