Since the first Eze of Ibeku-Ngwa Amaise in Osisoma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State, HRM Silas Onyenso (Igurube 1), joined his ancestors in 2016, the royal stool had remained vacant due to controversies surrounding the succession processes to the throne as two prominent sons of the land laid claim to the vacant stool.
Matters once got to a bitter point that one of the contestants to the throne headed to court, an action which further polarised the community intractably, leading to protests and such other unrests.
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In an attempt to bring a quick and lasting solution to the impasse before it degenerated any further, officials of the State’s Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs requested that all court actions relating to the matter be withdrawn to allow it conduct a plebiscite among the people to choose for themselves between the two qualified contestants who they want as their Traditional Ruler.
The ministry on April 30 proceeded to the community to conduct the plebiscite using the Option A4 system as agreed. After the exercise, Chief Ngozi Blessing Ekpendu scored 670 votes while Chief Alozie Ejike scored 880 votes. With the exercise conducted freely, fairly and creditably, with no dissenting voice against the process, the results were announced and the winner, Chief Alozie Ejike declared the Eze-Elect and the rightful successor to the throne.
