OPINION: Selfish Manipulation Of Isiuzo LG’s Political Reality

The clamour for equity and fairness at the state and national levels should be the same standard at Isiuzo local government level as well in the choice of the next chairman.

Reactions to my article, “Why the Zoning Agreement in Isi-Uzo Should Not be Broken”, a couple of weeks ago have been as passionate as they are varied. While many readers supplied more data to further anchor the unfair scheming, injustice, betrayal of kinship and selfish interest inherent in Eha Amufu succeeding Eha Amufu as chairman of Isiuzo Local Government Council, Enugu State. Some argued that might is right and joggled data to support apparent revisionism.

In this update, we present the arguments of both sides so readers can make up their minds between might and right, dishonesty and integrity, injustice and equity.

Edeh Valentine Ohamadike argues that there is no “credible evidence” of any such zoning agreement. “No documented agreement, signed resolution, or legally binding framework or names of people that entered into such agreement or place of such agreement establishing such a rotation formula was presented.”
He concludes coldly, like Artificial Intelligence, “If performance is what truly matters, then competence should outweigh sectional sentiments.”

Ohamadike implies that only Eha Amufu can produce competent chairmen to run Isiuzo Local Government. Interestingly, he did not present any “credible evidence” to show that chairmen from Eha Amufu have “performed” more than those from the other seven wards of the local government from 1996 to 2026.

Onyiba Shepherdman Iyioku, one of Chijoke Edeoga’s publicists, argues incorrectly, “The historical fact is that Eha-Amufu, as one of the five towns in Isi-Uzo, is twice the size of the other four towns.” Available data do not support this sweeping claim.
He wonders, “The question is why will any rational mind start making the comparison of the political demography of Eha-Amufu East and West with Isi-Uzo Central. Preposterous!”

While Ohamadike says there is no agreement, Iyioku avers, “The political rotation in Isi-Uzo was between Eha-Amufu and Igbo Eno. This gentleman’s agreement was because of Eha-Amufu’s numerical strength, and it was agreed at the time that Eha-Amufu should be taking two slots of the Council seat while Igbo Eno takes one slot in rotation.” However, he did not provide any credible figures to prove that Eha Amufu “is twice the size of the other four towns.”

He concludes by threatening Armageddon if Isiuzo Central produces the chairman; warning that it “is to say the least, leading our dear Governor into political suicide, especially with the rampaging NDC and other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

Francis Ede, another of Edeoga’s horsemen, who was initially announced as the APC chairmanship nominee before it was shot down, supplied the details of the “zoning agreement” his colleague said does not exist. According to him, “On 12th September, 2007, the zoning agreement between Igbo-Eno and Eha-Amufu was made at Ikem the Local Government Headquarters of Isi -Uzo LGA and communique was issued which was signed by 89 persons across all the 11 Wards of Isi-Uzo LGA and the communities thereto from.

“The caption of that meeting was ‘Meeting Of PDP Isi -Uzo Ward Chairmen/ Secretaries, Stakeholders and Members of The Caretaker Committee. The preface says, Isi -Uzo Local Government Area; Political Strength And Agreement. It says that the Local Government is made up of five towns, namely, Eha-Amufu, Ikem, Mbu, Neke and Umualor. In 2007, these five towns came together and made the following Resolutions and Agreement;
“(A) That the Local Government was divided into two political zones, namely, Eha-Amufu Zone and Igbo Eno Zone (comprising Ikem, Neke, Mbu and Umualor).
(B) That each Zone should provide the Chairman irrespective of any other positions held.”

He went ahead to quote random figures on 2006 census, landmass, voters’ registration, school enrollment and even the existence of motor parks as determinants of the electoral sharing formular, exclusive to Isiuzo.

Conversely, Isi-Uzo Patriots, a group of concerned Isiuzo indigenes, has called on Gov. Peter Mbah to reverse the recent ceding of another local government chairmanship position to Eha-Amufu, describing it as “an institutionalization of injustice in Isi-Uzo LGA.”
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, June 11, in Enugu, convener of the group, Dennis Agbo, said that the May 28, 2026 decision of awarding another local government chairmanship to Eha-Amufu has polarized the five federating communities of Isi-Uzo and undermined the spirit of rotation and unity that the area is known for.
The Patriots challenged Eha Amufu’s claim to be half of Isi-Uzo’s population, using data from the 2023 governorship election and population projections to argue for a more balanced distribution of political offices.

They appealed to Governor Mbah not to be swayed by claims about Eha Amufu’s population, saying the data does not support it, and that rotation in Isi-Uzo has never been based on inflated figures.

“We are saying that those who worked painstakingly for Governor Peter Mbah’s election should not be undermined and put under those who fought tooth and nail against his victory,” the group stated.

Taken holistically, against the background of Igbo agitation for the presidency of Nigeria based on equity and fairness, these random arguments come short of the burden of history, good sense and justice. Rotational presidency in Nigeria may not be in the Nigerian Constitution but it is an unwritten agreement that keeps the country united, making those who contest in negation of it very unpopular. It is not about the number of motor parks, farm settlements, school enrollment and all, but of the constituent parts of the country, state or local government. Traditionally, agreements are written in the tablets of people’s hearts, and if you break them you die, or become perpetually afflicted.

In Enugu State, the unwritten power rotation agreement among the three senatorial districts of Enugu East, Enugu West and Enugu North has been working seamlessly since 1999, irrespective of the number of motor parks, school enrollment, landmass and farm settlements, resulting in peace and harmony in the state. Enugu North is the most populated of the three senatorial districts but it has not insisted on taking multiple slots. Indeed, it takes the last slot after the two smaller zones.
Similarly, power rotation between Enugu East and Isiuzo local governments for a House of Representatives constituency seat has worked smoothly since 1999, despite the fact that Enugu East has a larger population, higher school enrollment and more motor parks, and would invariably win the seat if push comes to shove in an open contest.
Coming home to Isiuzo to hide under these false assumptions to suppress your brothers because of perceived political advantage is a recipe for conflict and disharmony.

From Ka Isiuzo Jee (Let Isiuzo go!) to Ka Eha Amufu Jee!

Iyioku, described Edeoga as “one of Isi-Uzo’s illustrious sons”, not Eha Amufu. Most Isiuzo people thought so too, until May 28. The unravelling is an unfortunate abortion. A diminution from a man of the people to a man of his village! He rode the polls in 2023 gubernatorial election campaign under the mantra of Ka Isiuzo Jee (Let Isiuzo go!). And when he lost, all Isiuzo lost in the national arena and still mourns the road not taken. Back home, his aides are joggling data to tell the rest of Isiuzo that they do not matter. That it is all about numbers and Eha Amufu must eat their fill, like the proverbial tortoise who called himself ‘All of You’, before the rest of the other seven electoral wards.

Traditionally, the five communities are referred to as Igboise because of their cultural affinity but now Edeoga and his horsemen have created a demarcation; It is now Eha Amufu and the rest called Igboeno. The data shows they have less than 40 percent of the population while the others have over 60 percent but due to momentary political advantage, they are claiming they are half and equal to, if not more than, the other seven electoral wards. And now they are pushing the advantage of having Governor Mba’s ears to emasculate the other communities whose political stakeholders appear so petrified of losing their meal tickets they cannot even protest. They gnash their teeth in silence as Eha Amufu bestride the clime and push their advantage without pity. A statesman would have called them to order and treated the whole local government as his primary constituency.

Julius Caesar rejected taking advantage of his power and position, insisting, “What concerns us most shall be last served.” That is manifest statesmanship, not lip craft.

What the figures say.
From the figures in the official records of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the voting result of Isiuzo Local Government Area in the 2023 governorship election is as follows:

What Does the Population Census say?

Isiuzo has a population of 148,415 according to the 2006 census with the current projected population put at about 220,000. There is no standard acceptable breakdown of the specific population figures of the five communities that make up Isiuzo. So the voting demographics of 2023 are the more current reliable data to assess the political capacities of the local government.

The Voting Demographics

According to INEC data above, Isiuzo has 80, 433 registered voters as at 2023. Out of this, the four wards of Eha Amufu has a total of 39, 199 registered voters, 48.7 percent; while Ikem, Neke, Mbu and Umuero have 41, 234 voters, 51.3 percent. This debunks the bogus claim that Eha Amufu “is twice the size of the other four towns.”

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, governor from 1999 to 2007, divided Isiuzo into three development centres based on the current demographics: Eha Amufu (Eha Amufu Development Centre) made up of 39 percent of Isi-uzo; Ikem and Umuero (Isiuzo Central) 30 percent and; Neke and Mbu (Amanyi) 31 percent. Put together, Ikem, Neke, Mbu and Umuero with seven political wards have 61 percent of the population; while Eha Amufu with four wards have 39 percent. These development centres were the local power sharing structure, but at the national level, the 11 wards are the gazetted political blocs in the local government.
Nnamani’s successor, Sullivan Chime, maintained the three development centres structure. However, under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi with Edeoga as commissioner for local government, 2015 to 2023, Eha Amufu was split into two development centres, Eha Amufu East and Eha Amufu West; while Ikem, Neke, Mbu and Umuero remain two development centres, making a total of four development centres.

The Power Rotation Scenario for LG Chairman Since 1996.

1. Chijioke Edeoga, Eha-Amufu Ward 3, 1996 – 1999, (Eha Amufu Development Centre).
2. Osita Ogene, Eha-Amufu Ward One, 1999 – 2007, (Eha-Amufu Development Centre),
3. Prof Sam Ugwu, Ikem Ward 2, 2007 – 2011, Isiuzo Central Development Centre
4. Augustine Nnamani, Neke Ward One, 2011 – 2015. Amanyi Development Centre,
5. Dr Edeoga Benjamin, Eha-Amufu ward 4, 2015 –2019, Eha-Amufu development centre.
6. Jacob Abonyi, Mbu Ward One, 2019 – 2022, Amanyi Development Centre.
7. Obiora Obegu, Eha-Amufu Ward3, 2022 – 2026, Eha-Amufu Development Centre.
8. Brendan Ani, Eha-Amufu Ward One, like Osita Ogene, 2026 –? The Wards that have not produced chairmen
9. Eha Amufu Ward 2, Eha Amufu West Dev Centre.
10. Ikem Ward One, Isiuzo Central Dev Centre
11. Umuero Ward, Isiuzo Central
12. Neke Ward 2, Amanyi
13. Mbu Ward 2, Amanyi
    According to the rotation flow, after the tenure of the current chairman, Obiora Obegu, from Eha Amufu Ward 3, which also produced Edeoga as chairman from 1996 to 1999, the next chairman should come from Ikem Ward One in Isiuzo Central, the host of the local government secretariat which has never produced an executive chairman of the local government. To strengthen their cry for justice, they paid the highest price in 2023 when the ward lost its only elective post in the Enugu House of Assembly under PDP to Umuero’s Labour Party candidate because of Edeoga’s candidacy as the gubernatorial candidate of labour Party. Ideally, he should support Ikem Ward One for the price they paid for his gubernatorial effort.

When the chairmanship returns to Eha-Amufu, it should go to Eha Amufu Ward 2, which has not produced any chairman since 1996. The proposed candidate of the ruling party, Brendan Ani, is from Eha Amufu Ward One, which produced the chairman for eight years from 1999 to 2007 in Osita Ogene. If there is justice and fair play in the hearts of Eha Amufu stakeholders, their next slot should go to Ward 2. The same for Ikem; Ikem Ward 2, having taken the chairmanship slot from 2007 to 2011, House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019 and Commissioner from 2023 to 2027 should in all good conscience support Ikem Ward One to produce the next chairman. Returning the chairmanship to Eha-Amufu Ward One under the guise of Eha Amufu West Development Centre appears dubious and transactional.

Francis Ede had used conjectured signatories of PDP ward chairmen and secretaries under the sole administration of Eric Ebe from Eha Amufu as a basis for the sharing formular in Isiuzo thereby jettisoning the well-articulated facts from Senator Nnamani’s administration.

The summary of the argument is that Eha Amufu has two development centres and four wards with 48.7 percent of the registered voters, while the rest of Isiuzo, Igboeno, has two development centres and seven electoral wards with 51.3 percent of the registered voters. It is therefore dishonest to draw conclusion between Ikem and Eha Amufu. As brothers people should come to equity with clean hearts. The rotation is among the 11 electoral wards and four development centres, not between Isiuzo Central and Eha Amufu East/West.

As German philosopher, Johann Gottfried Von Herder (1744 – 1803), counsels, “Equity is a moral harmony of reason, the balanced formula of opposed forces, balance in the harmony on which rests the edifice of the universe.”

Let Ndisiuzo be properly guided because political opportunism has already created an imbalance in the socio-cultural ecosystem of the once harmonious local government. The jungle may be neutral; might may be right; and the winner may take all, but in all these, Divine Justice exacts its compensation in appropriate currency.

Anayochukwu Agbo is an Abuja based journalist.