Hon. Chikaodili Nomeh, who heads the Public Petition, Justice, and Judiciary Committee in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, has officially confirmed Chief Jacob Nwakpa’s candidacy for monarch-elect of the Nkomoro autonomous community in Ezza North Local Government Area.
On Saturday, the committee’s public relations officer, Sylvester Egede, signed a statement that the committee made accessible to journalists in which they urged the community to maintain their support for Governor Francis Nwifuru in order to reap the benefits of democracy in the region.
“The committee learned that there were gatherings and announcements made on EBBC radio and other media regarding the nomination and selection of the community’s traditional ruler,” reads the statement.
It was also discovered by the committee that the Nkomoro people had formed a five-person screening committee, with Barr. Samuel Nwokwu at the helm, to screen candidates from the Oriuzor clan, who were favored by the zoning arrangement, during their general assembly on April 6, 2024.
Following the recommendation of the Nkomoro zoning and screening committee, the committee decided that Chief Barr. Jacob Igboke Nwakpa should be crowned traditional ruler of the Nkomoro autonomous community based on the facts and other submissions before it.
A small number of people had petitioned the committee to remove the Eze-elect from office, but the committee rejected their claims, including the malicious one that he lacked the qualifications for the job.
The committee determined that the petition filed by a small group of people contesting Chief Barr. Jacob Igboke Nwakpa’s election as Eze-elect was without merit since the claims made in the petition, including that Chief Jacob Nwakpa was not qualified, were unfounded. Consequently, the petition was rejected.
“In order to achieve more democratic dividends and community development, the committee firmly advised all parties to back the State Governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.”