Why we recognised traditional ruler despite court order – Anambra govt

The Anambra State Government has insisted that it did not violate any court order by recognising Nzekwesi Nweke as the traditional ruler of Nsugbe, a community in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Governor Charles Soludo, on Tuesday, issued a certificate of recognition to Mr Nweke despite a court order against his purported election on 30 August.

A copy of the court order obtained by this newspaper showed that the High Court of Anambra State on 5 August ordered all parties to maintain the status quo existing as of 8 July, being the date on which the substantive suit was filed, pending “its amicable or judicial determination.”

Five members of the community who filed the lawsuit were Chukwuma Omenyi, Okechukwu Dibua, Emmanuel Nwalunor, Obichukwu Nwokike and Igwebuike Ado.

Fifteen people were listed as defendants in the suit.

Of the number, 10 people were members of the Nsughe Electoral Committee for the traditional ruler’s election.

The President-General of Nsugbe Development Union, Nnamdi Okeke, was among those listed as defendants.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the status quo hereby ordered means that: (a) no party, whether by himself, his agents, servants, privies or any person acting on his authority or any entity howsoever described, shall organise, conduct, supervise, conclude or give effect to any election or selection of the next Igwe (traditional ruler) of Nsugbe from Ivite Quarter on Saturday the 8th day of August, 2026 and pending the determination of this suit,” the court ruled.

‘Anambra govt not restrained’

But in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, Nnaemeka Ugha, a senior special assistant to Mr Soludo on legal matters, argued that the governor did not violate the court order by recognising Mr Nweke because the Anambra State Government was not a party to the suit and was not also restrained by the court order.

“Secondly, the election referred to in the court order was an election of 8th August 2026 as the court refused the prayer to grant an injunction in respect of any other election. That election, from information available from the community, was cancelled in line with the order of the court,” Mr Ugha, a lawyer, said.

The governor’s legal aide further contended that even for the botched election of 8th August 2026, the court order expressly authorised the parties to conduct the election if the dispute was amicably resolved.

He also claimed that, based on information available from the caretaker committee set up by the state government after suspending the Nsugbe Development Union, the dispute in the community was resolved as all parties agreed to jettison the contentious delegate mode of the election and agreed on the universal adult suffrage.

“The state government set up the caretaker committee to resolve the issues in the community and kickstart a new process acceptable to the community which the members of the committee who were not part of the case achieved,” he stated.

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‘Anambra attorney-general not involved’

Mr Nweke, the disputed traditional ruler, is an elder brother to Tobechukwu Nweke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the commissioner for justice and attorney-general of Anambra State.

On 29 August, a group known as the Concerned Indigenes and Stakeholders in Nsugbe in a petition to President Bola Tinubu, raised alarm over the alleged conflict of interest arising from the attorney-general’s “familial and political interest” in the matter.

But Mr Ugha, in the statement, argued that the attorney-general has no role in the conduct of election or recognition of the traditional ruler under the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Law.

The official stressed that the attorney-general did not play any role in the election process, and that the state government was not joined in the suit in order to activate its functions.

“The attorney-general is a well known stickler for the rule of law and does not condone any disobedience to court orders no matter who is involved,” he said.

The special assistant contended that the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs in Anambra State, Vincent Ezeaka, was involved in the matter because he has statutory responsibilities relating to chieftaincy matters.

“There is no order against the state (government) to restrain any of his (Mr Ezeaka’s) statutory functions.

“The (Anambra) State Government therefore acted within its lawful powers and did not violate any order of court,” he insisted.