Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Governor Willie Obiano’s Anambra East constituency is in crisis following insistence of Igbariam Community to produce the next House of Assembly member.
The community has already asked Obiano to ensure that he fulfils the understanding reached during the 2015 election on whose turn it is to produce the next legislative member.
But, in a swift reaction, the Council’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Pius Ifeadi, said there was no agreement on how to produce members representing the constituency .
“I am not a party to it and not aware of any agreement; whether written or oral, in respect of that. I don’t think we ever agreed and talked about that. Whoever said there was an agreement, should provide evidence of the agreement. The race is open for everyone.”
However, stating the stand of the community during its annual New Yam festival, the traditional ruler of Igbariam, Igwe Kelly Nneli, said it is the turn of his community to produce the state lawmaker for the constituency. The community had already selected Chief Lawrence Anikpe to contest the election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
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He also presented Anikpe to the people and assured them that he would represent the constituency adequately if elected, being a notable and accepted politician. Addressing newsmen shortly after the event, Anikpe said communities in the constituency had an agreement on how to produce their representatives and had religiously followed it, hoping that the agreement would be kept by APGA during the forthcoming party primary.
“We have six communities in Anambra East constituency. O.C Chinwuba from Aguleri represented us from 2003 to 2007; Mike Obiodu from Nsugbe and Joe Isiagu from Umuleri, had also been there at various times, while Obinna Emenaka has been there since 2011. It is because of the understanding the governor had with members of the House of Assembly in 2011, he (Obinna) stayed for another four years, which will end in 2019.
“It is, therefore, the turn of Igbariam, and our people have decided that I should represent them. The governor appealed to Igbariam people in 2015 to allow Emenaka to retain the seat because of the agreement he had with members of the house then and it would be our turn this time around.”