By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The recent leadership crisis that rocked the Amichi Development Union (ADU) in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State has taken another turn, with the concerned citizens of the community calling on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial extension of the tenure of the former President-General, Chief Cletus Udebuani by the State’s Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Affairs, Mr. Ifeanyi Ezeaka
The call followed a meeting between the community’s Board of Trustees and the Commissioner on Tuesday, August 18, where the Commissioner reportedly called for the submission of names of members being proposed for a Caretaker Committee to oversee the affairs of the union.
The development is coming barely one week after the Commissioner had written to Udebuani, purporting to extend his tenure as President-General beyond August 6, 2026, when his four-year tenure was said to have expired and when there is an existing court order restraining him from assuming the position of President General.
According to an update recently shared by concerned citizens, since the expiration of the tenure, eight out of the 11 members of the former executive have already formally submitted their handover notes to the union’s Board of Trustees, paving the way for the transition process.
Concerned citizens noted that during Tuesday’s meeting, efforts were made by the Board to enable the Commissioner understand the reason he should formally withdraw the earlier letter from his office extending former PG’s tenure, particularly in view of the controversies and legal issues surrounding the document.
According to sources, the Commissioner, however, reportedly declined to issue a fresh written directive, despite having received a formal letter of protest from the Board against the said extension. Instead, he was said to have orally told the Board to forward the names of proposed members of the Caretaker Committee to his office.
It was further alleged that when he was asked by the Board to provide a written document officially revoking or withdrawing the earlier tenure-extension letter he issued to the former PG, the Commissioner reportedly declined and simply told the people that the said letter had been “overtaken by events”.
According to sources, the Trustees said they would proceed with the transition process by convening an Emergency General Assembly of the Amichi community, where a formal decision would be taken on the composition of the Caretaker Committee.
It was gathered that the ADU Constitution places the authority to approve major decisions and determine the affairs of the union in the General Assembly, consequently necessitating that the selection of any caretaker arrangement in the town must therefore follow the provisions of the town’s constitution.
The latest development is expected to provide a possible pathway out of the leadership impasse, which has generated considerable tension in the community following the expiration of the former PG’s tenure, the subsisting court proceedings and the subsequent intervention by the Commissioner.
The concerned citizens, however, expressed concern over what they described as the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the Commissioner’s intervention, insisting that the matter required more than an administrative reversal.
They consequently appealed to Governor Soludo to institute a thorough investigation into the conduct of the Commissioner and determine what actually transpired in the events leading to the controversial tenure-extension letter.
According to the stakeholders, such an investigation is necessary to provide clarity and transparency to the people of Amichi, particularly because of the circumstances in which the Commissioner’s initial decision was made and his subsequent shift towards a caretaker arrangement.
They also raised questions over a voice note allegedly made by one Mr. Charles Anaso, counsel representing the Anambra State Government and the Commissioner, and subsequently circulated on official ADU WhatsApp platforms by Udebuani on July 29, eight days after the July 21 court order in the leadership dispute.
The concerned citizens said the development was particularly significant because Anaso represents the Attorney-General of the State and the Commissioner, who are listed as the first and second defendants in the pending case respectively.
According to the concerned citizens, the legal counsel was heard in the voice note offering an interpretation of the court proceedings which, they said, portrayed the ruling as supporting a tenure extension for Udebuani.
They questioned the circumstances under which the voice note from counsel for the State Government and Commissioner came to be circulated on the official platform of the town union by the former President-General.
The citizens further questioned whether the interpretation contained in the recording reflected the actual proceedings and documents before the court, particularly their claim that certain statements allegedly attributed to counsel for the plaintiffs were not contained in the court proceedings or motion filed.
They said the development had raised questions among stakeholders about the relationship between the State Government’s legal representation and the former President-General, as well as the circumstances preceding the Commissioner’s eventual tenure-extension letter of August 7.
The concerned citizens, however, stressed that their immediate priority was to ensure a lawful transition in the affairs of the union and prevent further escalation of the crisis.
With eight members of the former executive already having submitted their handover notes, speculations abound that the Board of Trustees was prepared to convene the Emergency General Assembly and facilitate the selection of a Caretaker Committee in accordance with the ADU Constitution. Hopes are also on the high side that the latest steps would help to de-escalate the tension in Amichi and restore confidence in the process.
The concerned citizens, however, reiterated their appeal to Governor Soludo to ensure that the constitution of the Amichi Development Union and the rule of law are respected, while also providing the community with a full explanation of the events surrounding the disputed tenure extension.
According to them, the people of Amichi deserved transparency on what transpired and why the process (which they believe ought to have proceeded immediately after the expiration of the former executive’s tenure) became embroiled in further controversy.
