The Anambra government says the Oba community in Idemili LGA does not have a traditional ruler.

TonyCollins Nwabunwanne, the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, said this at a news conference in Awka on Monday.

The people of Oba had allegedly conducted an election for a successor to Igwe Peter Ezenwa, who died in 2018.

Mr Nwabunwanne said no election was allegedly conducted by the community known to the government, which had full supervisory power over community and union matters.

He said that there was a subsisting matter pending in court stopping the conduct of election into the traditional ruler’s seat of the Oba community, and the government would not recognise any exercise in contempt of court.

He said the government did not supervise the process as the law demanded because it was conducted in contempt of court.

“As of today, there is no traditional ruler or Igwebuike cabinet in the Oba community. There is a subsisting matter in court which barred conduct of traditional ruler election before us, and until that matter is dispensed with, there can be no election.

“The Anambra government is hereby issuing a bench warrant on anybody parading himself as the traditional ruler of the Oba community. Such a person should be arrested by the security agencies,” he said.

Mr Nwabunwanne said the Anambra government would do everything necessary to ensure peace, security and social order.

He insisted that communities must respect the laws of the state and the constitutions they made for themselves.

(NAN)