By NewsCritic Reporters
The Umuchukwu family in Umuoriehi, Isingwu Autonomous Community has declared that the process for the selection of the Village head has been completed with Pastor Uzodinma Madubuike duly elected as the Village Head Designate, warning that any person parading himself as the Village head should be disregarded by the public as such a person is an imposter, who will face the full weight of the law in due time.
This clarification is coming on the heels of a purported video clip in circulation wherein one Elder Enoch Madubuike and his group claimed to have presented a village head to the Eze-In-Council for recognition and subsequent confirmation without the approval of the village leadership.
According to the members of the electoral committee saddled with the responsibility of organising the election for the selection of the Umuoriehi Village head from the Umuchukwu family, which is the next in line to produce the village head, following the death of Chief Finecountry Ekpo; three candidates indicated interest to vie for the office of the Village head, namely Pastor Kenneth Ubani, Chief Enoch Madubuike and Pastor Uzodinma Madubuike.
The Election Committee report stated that in line with the Umuoriehi/Umuaganya constitutional provisions, which said that only those between the ages of 60 to 70-years are eligible to contest for the office of the Village head, that by virtue of this provision only Pastor Uzodinma Madubuike is eligible to run for the office.
Therefore, that both Kenneth Ubani and Enoch Madubuike were disqualified from contesting for the office of the Village head for being under aged and over aged, according to Prof Enyinnaya Ikeokwu the spokesperson for the committee. Based on this an affirmation voting was done by members of the Umuchukwu family to elect Uzo Madubuike as Village Head Elect after he polled 17 votes.
However, there was a twist to the whole scenario, and before Uzo Madubuike could be presented to the Eze-in-Council for confirmation, one of the aggrieved candidates Kenneth Ubani headed to the High Court of Abia State sitting in Umuahia and obtained an order of interlocutory injunction to restrain the 4th Defendant the President General of Umuoriehi, Mr Okeahialam Isiuwa; from presenting the 6th Defendant Uzo Madubuike to the the traditional ruler HRH Eze Daniel Ukaegbu, as Village Head of Umuoriehi-Isingwu.
In an affidavit in support of the Motion in suit No. HU/46/2024 between Pastor Ken Smart Ubani as Claimant and others, he said the 1st to 3rd defendants have concluded arrangement to present the 6th Defendant to the 4th Defendant and to Umuoriehi council of chiefs.
The affidavit stated that if the apprehended mischief of presenting the 6th Defendant to the 5th Defendant sails through, the substantive suit would become merely an academic exercise, and that the claimant would suffer irretrievable mischief which cannot be atoned for in damages. That the 1st to 4th defendants will lose nothing if restrained as prayed.
Based on the aforesaid the court gave an Order stopping the presentation of Uzo Madubuike as the Village pending the determination of the substantive suite.
Although the case is before a court of competent jurisdiction, the two disqualified candidates and their group went ahead to announce Elder Enoch Madubuike, who was said not to be eligible for being over aged as the village head and present same to the traditional ruler for recognition.
