Citypost News Desk
Tensions have intensified within the Awka Development Union Nigeria (ADUN) as prominent stakeholder Ozo Dr. Anayo Nweke has issued a firm warning to the Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Engr. Pat Nzekwe Ibe and Barr. Ifeanyichukwu Obiakor (SAN) over their insistence on proceeding with the forthcoming ADUN election despite unresolved concerns regarding fairness and equal representation.
This latest development comes on the heels of an earlier collective declaration by concerned stakeholders of the Awka community, who had called for transparency, credibility, and equal representation in the electoral process, after a review meeting, where the group welcomed the decision to conduct a fresh election but strongly condemned what they described as the illogical and unfair allocation of one delegate per village while diaspora branches received three delegates each.
They insisted that the arrangement contradicts previous election templates and risks disenfranchising the 33 Awka village branches.
The stakeholders also demanded that the BoT brief the Awka General Assembly (Izu Awka) on its preparations and release a full list of diaspora branches to ensure an open and competitive process. That earlier statement, also signed by Ozo Dr. Anayo Nweke, emphasized that no election should proceed if it confers undue advantage on any group.
Building on these concerns, Dr. Nweke has now warned that he and other stakeholders are prepared to initiate legal action should the trustees continue with what he described as a poorly planned election without first addressing the equitable representation of delegates across all branches.
He stated that any attempt to impose the current arrangement could force stakeholders to challenge the validity of the ADUN constitution, which they argue grants disproportionate voting power to diaspora branches. He added that they would also not hesitate to seek a court injunction to stop the election entirely until necessary corrections are made.
“A stitch in time saves nine,” he cautioned, urging the trustees to act responsibly to avoid a full-scale legal and communal dispute.
