Tony Okafor, Awka

Fresh drama has erupted in the long-running Awka kingship tussle as Chief Austin Ndigwe has formally declared that he no longer presents himself as the traditional ruler of the ancient community.

The development, which surfaced on Tuesday, was disclosed by former Senior Aide to Anambra State Governor, Mazi Ejimofor Opara.

According to him, Ndigwe communicated his position in a personally signed letter addressed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the state Attorney General.

In the letter, Ndigwe distanced himself from viral social media reports linking him to the disputed throne, describing such claims as false, misleading, and orchestrated to implicate him.

“Such information seeks to implicate me… they are made in utmost bad faith,” he stated, insisting he neither authorised nor endorsed any publication portraying him as the monarch of Awka.

He further pledged his commitment to peace, stressing his respect for the Anambra State Government’s White Paper on the Awka kingship dispute, which emanated from a judicial commission of inquiry.

The latest move comes against the backdrop of the state government’s decisive intervention in the protracted crisis.

In its White Paper, the government affirmed Gibson Nwosu as the only recognised and substantive traditional ruler of Awka, effectively putting an end to rival claims.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Tochukwu Nweke, announced that the decision followed the findings of a commission of inquiry chaired by retired Justice Paul Obidigwe, which investigated the kingship dispute spanning over a decade.

Central to the resolution is the reaffirmation of the 1986 Awka Traditional Rulers Amended Constitution, which provides for a rotational kingship system between the Ifite and Ezi sections of the community.

The government held that Ndigwe’s emergence did not comply with this established framework.

Authorities also issued a stern warning that any individual parading as the Obi of Awka outside the recognised structure would be deemed an impostor and face legal consequences.

Stakeholders in the community have been urged to embrace the government’s position in the interest of unity and development.

Ndigwe’s latest declaration is expected to recalibrate the dynamics of the dispute, even as observers await reactions from various quarters within Awka and beyond.