Anambra communal chieftaincy conflict: Court dethrones Ngige’s home town monarch

Anambra state High court sitting at Ogidi, presided over by Justice Pete Obiorah has granted an interim injunction restraining the traditional ruler of Alor community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Mac Anthony Okonkwo from further parading himself as the Igwe of Alor.

Alor community is the home town of the incumbent Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige who also was against the nomination, selection, enthronement and recognition of Okonkwo as the Alor monarch since 2014 when the state government issued him with a chieftaincy certificate and staff of office.

The order followed a counter-claim filed by the second defendant/counter-claimant, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa, through his legal counsel, Bona Oraekwe Esq., challenging the recognition and certification of Mac Anthony Okonkwo, the third plaintiff as the traditional ruler of Alor (Ezedioramma III), since 2014, by Anambra state government.

The plaintiffs further prayed the court to restrain APA from conducting any form of election for the purposes of selecting a new traditional ruler in place of the third plaintiff, Okonkwo who has already been recognized and certified by the state government as the Ezediohamma III of Alor since 2015.

But in a twist, Justice Obiorah while delivering the judgement, ordered Mac Anthony Okonkwo to forthwith desist from occupying or using the Palace of Obi Eze Agbudugbu (the original ancestral abode of Alor people) and generally intermeddling in the various customs and practices as well as administrative affairs of Alor town.

Justice Obiorah however stated that the parties shall bear their respective costs of this legal action since their claims and counter-claims succeeded in part.