By Tony Okafor, Awka
A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Evang. Chinedu Obigwe, has issued a stern warning to Chief Austin Ndigwe, cautioning that his continued claim to the Uzu Awka stool amounts to “playing with consuming fire.”
Obigwe, who is the National Coordinator of the APGA Media Warriors Forum, made the remarks in a statement released Tuesday in reaction to reports that Ndigwe had again paraded himself as “Ezeuzu III” of Awka.
Reacting sharply, the APGA stalwart said Ndigwe’s actions constitute a direct affront to the authority of the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, and warned that such defiance would not go without consequences.
“Without mincing words, the fly that refuses to heed advice follows the corpse to the grave,” Obigwe stated, employing a proverb to underscore the gravity of the situation.
He further described Ndigwe’s conduct as “a dance of the spirits,” insisting that the public display of kingship claims on Monday was both provocative and unlawful.
According to him, law-abiding citizens of the state must condemn what he termed an act of impunity.
Obigwe expressed satisfaction that the incident was widely witnessed, noting that it would forestall any allegations of political victimisation should the state government take action.
“The issue of the authentic traditional ruler of Awka has been conclusively settled,” he said, adding that the position of the state government remains that Igwe Obi Gibson Nwosu is the duly recognised monarch.
He referenced the report of the judicial panel of inquiry on the Awka traditional stool crisis, which has since been adopted and gazetted by the state government, affirming Nwosu’s status as the legitimate traditional ruler.
Describing Ndigwe as “an impostor,” Obigwe maintained that his continued claim to the throne was not only baseless but also a challenge to constituted authority.
“Governor Soludo is not the kind of leader anyone can toy with,” he warned, adding that the administration remains resolute in upholding the law and decisions already taken on the matter.
Obigwe cautioned that Ndigwe would soon come to terms with the reality of the situation, stressing that the current administration would not tolerate actions capable of undermining established legal and traditional processes.
Reacting to the development ,a vice chairman of one the villages in Awka, said, “We need real action from the Governor….he( Ndigwe )is boasting around yesterday, saying Awka crown him king and nothing will happen…even if the Governor will start from those guys following him around..that will be a good start.
“I know our people…..once they see a real action, they will backtrack and run away from him.’
The dispute over the Uzu Awka stool has remained a subject of public concern in recent times, despite the state government’s insistence that the matter has been conclusively resolved.
