Tension has heightened at Ama-Nkanu community in Nkanu East local government area of Enugu state following an election into the chieftaincy stool of the community on Tuesday.
The election, supervised by the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftancy Matters ended in controversy following the rejection of the election’s outcome by both contestants to the throne.
One of the contestants, Chief Bennett Ikenna, had announced publicly before the commencement of the election that he would not accept whatever was the outcome of the exercise, as according to him, proper procedures were not followed before the polls.
He, however, turned around to claim victory at the end of the election when he was credited with the highest number of votes, 607 votes as against 587 votes credited to his opponent, Prince Vitus Ani.
However, his opponent, Ani rejected the result alleging that Chief Ikenna imported people from a neighbouring community, who masqueraded as Ama-Nkanu indigenes to swell his votes, and that the presiding officer, Chukwudi Onah, did not count many of his supporters, who queued behind him.
The tension-soaked exercise saw the State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Barr. Fidelis Ani, who was almost held hostage, running for his safety after he was pressured to announce the result his presiding officer handed to him.
Prince Vitus Ani, while fielding questions from journalists called on the state government to cancel the election in two out of the five villages because of alleged importation of strangers and other acts of fraud and intimidation.
“I want the election cancelled in two villages of Amaede and Ohubo because they cheated me there. The people that voted at Amaede are not the indigenes of Amaede village that are living in Ama-Nkanu, they are from their home base (Amaede) in Ehamufu in Isi-Uzo local government area. And also in Ohubo they counted one of my lines and refused to count two lines and people trouped in from outside and joined the line of my opponent. When I was telling the Director, Chukwudi Onah, he refused to hear me and counted everybody because he is supporting Bennett Ikenna, my opponent,” he alleged.
On his part, Chief Bennett Ikenna had earlier declared that he would not accept the outcome of the election because the constitution of Ama-Nkanu community was not strictly adhered to and that he was not given consideration as the pioneer secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the local government area.
“I disagree with those who want to conduct this election, and I will contest it to any level. The result of this election I will contest it. And I’m saying that so that the press and the world will hear me. I’m not afraid of the election, but the condition of the election has to be met,” he said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters as to whether he will uphold or annul the outcome of the election proved abortive as his phone line was not connecting as at the time of filing this report, but he had before the commencement of voting charged the community to embrace peace as they are brothers and sisters.
