Izzi stakeholders kick as traditional rulers endorse Ebonyi speaker as guber candidate

Following the endorsement of embattled Speaker Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, by some traditional rulers of Izzi clan as their governorship candidate for the 2023 election, critical stakeholders from the area have unanimously condemned the actions of the monarchs.

According to the stakeholders, the purported endorsement is wrong, especially at this time of heightened security tension in the country.

The stakeholders made this known in a communiqué signed by Chief Micheal Udenwe, Chief Godwin Nwode and Chief Nick Ochigbo and thirteen others for and on behalf of critical stakeholders of Izzi Clan and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki.

They, however, called on the traditional rulers to recant and retract their statement and tender an apology to the Izzi people publicly through the media.

“The attention of the critical stakeholders from Izzi clan of Ebonyi State has been drawn to a purported statement issued by some traditional rulers of Izzi at a courtesy visit to the Director-General of EBBC, Chief Timothy Nwachi, on Monday 4th April 2022, endorsing the embattled Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogbonna Nwifuru for the position of Governor of Ebonyi state.

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“That the selected traditional rulers from Izzi clan, against the advice of these critical stakeholders not to involve themselves in partisan politics, were allegedly induced to make the purported announcement of endorsing a candidate in a contest where many prominent Izzi sons in the platform of the APC are also vying for the same position, thereby going against the ethics of their traditional functions, equity and fair play.

“That we wish to remind the traditional rulers that their primary duties are to be the custodian of the culture and traditions of the people, cater for the welfare and progress of their people, adjudicate on disputes in their communities and work to secure them, especially at this time when there are incessant communal conflicts in the state, and not to meddle in politics to the detriment of their communities and the entire Izzi clan.

“That we call on right thinking and well-meaning Ebonyians to disregard the statement from these traditional rulers, as it is only God and the generality of Ebonyians that can determine who becomes the next governor of Ebonyi state come 2023.

“We request the state government to call on these traditional rulers to order and direct them not to be involved in politics as any further intervention may result in a breach of the peace among the Izzi people and Ebonyi state in general.”