Kaduna Igbo Community Welfare Association Faces Internal Strife, Court Injunction Over Leadership Election

 

By, Ibrahim Aliyu, Staff Reporter

Some members of the Igbo Community Welfare Association of Kaduna State, comprising Igbo residents from the five South-East geopolitical states, have called on the current leadership of the association to comply with a recent court order, restraining the association from conducting its scheduled election, slated for Saturday, until the final determination of an appeal filed in court regarding the case.

This situation has caused a sharp misunderstanding among some members of the association involved in the leadership crisis. Some even staged a protest with placards to register their grievances over the issue at Command Guest House in Kaduna, the alleged venue for the election. They claimed the venue was changed overnight from the usual election site, Chim Cherry Hotel Barnawa Kaduna.

In an interview with newsmen in Kaduna, Ogbuefi Basil, President of the Imo State Indigenes Welfare Association Kaduna State, and Mazi Chiobi, Assistant Secretary General of the Igbo Community Welfare Association Kaduna State, stated that as the tenure of the current leadership, led by Mr. Francis Ani from Ebonyi State, was nearing its end, a resolution was reached by all delegates. This resolution proposed shifting the association's presidency to an indigene of Imo State, rather than what was earlier stipulated in the association's constitution for Abia State to assume leadership.

According to them, they want all preparations for the said election to be halted until after the hearing and determination of their appeal filed in court over the contested issues in Kaduna State.

They further explained that a suit earlier filed at High Court Ten (10) in Kaduna State, led by Justice Andrew Ando, sought the court's intervention for the recognition of the mutual understanding reached among delegates to allow Imo State to assume leadership of the association. This suit was struck out, not in their favor, which led them to file an appeal last Wednesday.

They also pointed out an earlier, separate court injunction regarding the planned election, seeking a stay of execution of the appeal over the case in court.

Despite the uproar and protest by members agitating for full compliance with the agreed resolution for an Imo State indigene to be elected as the new President, and compliance with the earlier court order restraining the conduct of elections, the election for new executive members was held at the Command Guest House Hall, where the protesting members had gathered.