By Tony Adibe
A pressure group operating under the banner – The Isi-Uzo Patriots – has bemoaned the political equation often manipulated to favour the Eha-Amufu Community in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
At a press conference on the burning issue on Thursday in Enugu, the Convener of the group, Dennis Agbo, flanked by the other executive members, gave a statistical breakdown of the political strength of each of the five communities that make up Isi-Uzo Local Government.
The Isi-Uzo Patriots, therefore, wondered why Eha-Amufu has been dominating political offices in the council area as if they are the only community that made Isi-Uzo thick and appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to redress the perceived injustice.
During the press conference titled: “ISI-UZO ON THE PRECIPICE: The Need To Remedy Injustice And A True Guide For Governor Peter Mbah On The Eha-Amufu Claim”, Agbo claimed that for long, Eha-Amufu has been producing local government chairmen for Isi-Uzo for a long time whereas some communities have not tasted the office.
He said that the press conference by THE ISI-UZO PATRIOTS was to voice out to Governor Mbah against “attempts to institutionalize injustice in the local government.”
The Isi-Uzo Patriots’ call comes barely two months after some key stakeholders in Enugu State, comprising the traditional rulers, academics, religious leaders, captains of industry, university students, and the politicians themselves, lauded the four co-authors of a new book on governorship rotation in the Coal City State.
NEWSBITS recalls that the book entitled “Zoning of Governorship Position in Enugu State: Evolution, Practice and Convention,” was presented to the public after it was unveiled at a historic ceremony held inside the Dome of the International Conference Centre, Enugu.
The new book, which chronicles the evolution and impact of the governorship zoning arrangement in Enugu State was described by almost all the speakers as a “cornerstone of peace and equity in the state since it would serve as a vital reference material for both the present and future generations.”
The Patriots insisted that zoning or rotation of public offices in the state should not begin and end with the governorship seat but be applied even in the chairmanship of local governments to give every section a sense of belonging, fairness, justice, equity and peace.
Referencing the recent choice of Eha-Amufu man to be the incoming chairman of the Local Government going by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), giving the nomination to Eha-Amufu for the September Local Government election, the group called on Mbah to swiftly change the hand of the clock before it is too late.
The press statement reads thus:
Preamble:
The Isi-Uzo Patriots is a body of concerned citizens of the Local Government Area who have volunteered to act as the voice of the unheard voices in the sociopolitical affairs in the area.
Over the years, there has been a common feeling of inequality in the distribution of political positions which necessitated the mutual agreement on how all the original five federating communities in the area would be carried along. Unfortunately, the recent political trajectory in the area has started skidding off the track of prosperity and unity with which the local government is known.
The May 28 2026 ceding of another local government Chairmanship position to Eha-Amufu has brought another round of anger, agitation and bad blood among the brethren of Isi-Uzo local government area. To put it succinctly, it has divided and polarized the once united peoples of Isi-Uzo local government area.
We have therefore elected to examine a constant claim, we consider as bogus, by one of the five federating communities, Eha-Afmufu, that it is half the population of Isi-uzo LGA. But we are moved to ask, assuming that it is as big as it claims, which it’s not, should a bigger brother continuously dominate the lesser one?
What the Data from INEC says from the 2023 Governorship election turnout in Isi-Uzo:
Ikem ward I
Registered 5,743 voters
Votes Cast- 1,473
LP-771; PDP- 566
Turnout: 25.6%
Ikem Ward II
Registered voters – 7,943
Votes Cast – 2297
LP-1,018; PDP-1,151
Turnout: 28.9%
Neke Ward I
Registered Voters – 5,637
Votes Cast – 1,374
LP-699; PDP-622
Turnout: 24.4%
Neke Ward II
Registered voters – 4,828
Votes Cast – 1,071
LP-410; PDP-592
Turnout: 22.2%
Mbu ward I
Registered voters – 5,949
Votes cast – 1,599
LP-776; PDP 767
Turnout: 26.9%
Mbu Ward II
Registered voters -5,487
Votes Cast -1,561
LP-825; PDP-611
Turnout: 28.5%
Umualor Ward
Registered Voters – 5,648
Votes Cast -1,498
LP-874; PDP-555
Turnout: 26.5%
Eha Amufu ward I
Registered voters – 9578
Votes Cast -1,970
LP-1,739; PDP – 177
Turnout: 20.6%
Eha Amufu Ward II
Registered Voters -7,822
Votes Cast – 1,834
LP-1,058; PDP-676
Turnout: 23.4%
Eha Amufu Ward III
Registered voters – 12,801
Votes Cast – 2,968
LP-2,729; PDP-191
Turnout: 23.2%
Eha Amufu Ward IV
Registered Voters – 9,198
Votes Cast – 2,122
LP-1,583; PDP-473
Turnout: 23.1
Based on the turnout percentages, the wards with the best voter turnout in the 2023 Isi-uzo governorship election were:
Ikem Ward II – 28.9% turnout
Mbu Ward II – 28.5% turnout
Mbu Ward I – 26.9% turnout
Ikem Ward I – 25.6% turnout
These 4 wards all performed above the LGA average of 25.1%. The wards with the lowest turnout were Eha Amufu Ward I at 20.6% and Neke Ward II at 22.2%. No ward in Eha Amufu secured up to the 25% local government average turnout.
Here’s the turnout for the original three development centers, calculated using total registered voters and total votes cast:
Block 1: Eha Amufu Wards I–IV
Registered Voters: = 39,399
Votes Cast: 8,894
Turnout: 22.6%
Block 2: Isi-uzo Central (Ikem & Umualor Wards)
Registered Voters: = 19,334
Votes Cast: = 5,268
Turnout: 27.3%
Block 3: Amanyi (Neke & Mbu wards)
Registered Voters: = 21,901
Votes Cast: = 5,605
Turnout: 25.6%
The Result is that Isi-Uzo Central had the best turnout at 27.3%, followed by Amanyi at 25.6%, then Eha-Amufu at 22.6%. Who and who voted for Peter Mbah in 2023 governorship Election?
Labour Party won Isi-Uzo LGA in the 2023 governorship election, beating PDP by a margin of 3,248 votes across the 11 wards. The win was driven by strong LP performance in Eha Amufu, while PDP was competitive in Isi-Uzo central and Amanyi Development centers.
The overall turnout and vote totals: Registered voters in the local government stood at 78,634 across Isi-Uzo’s 11 wards, with a total votes cast of 19,767. Labour Party got 11,482 votes, representing 58.1% of votes cast; while PDP got 6,381 votes, representing 32.3% of votes cast.
The remaining 9.6% went to other political parties and invalid votes.
Key patterns: the four wards in Eha Amufu delivered LP’s victory with 8,894 votes or 45% of all votes in the LGA. LP took 7,109 of those votes which is 79.9%. But the PDP was stronger in Ikem and Neke: In the 4 Ikem and Neke wards, PDP won 2,931 votes to LP’s 2,408. PDP’s best ward was Ikem Ward II with 1,151 votes. Turnout was low but uneven with Eha Amufu wards average of 24.6% turnout, while Ikem Ward II had the highest turnout at 28.9%. This is the reason why we ask, who actually voted for Peter Mbah in the 2023 elections?
What Does the Population Census say?
The 2006 Census indicates that the local government has 148,415 people. The 2022 Projection forecasts Isi-Uzo with 213,300, based on the National Population Commission’s projection using a 2.3% annual growth rate with a landmass covering 877 km². If you apply the 2022 LGA population estimate of 213,300 using voter registration as a proxy, the rough distribution would be: – Eha-Amufu: ∼126,000; – Ikem: ∼62,000; Mbu: ∼37,000;- Neke: ∼34,000; – Umualor: ∼18,000
Therefore, how can a group with 126,000 populations be awarded two development centers while the ones with 151,000 population are disadvantaged with such awards? It smacks of imbalance and injustice? During the administration of Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, he took a close look at the REAL population of Isi-uzo local government based on statistics other than fabrication and discovered that the four wards in Eha Amufu is made up of 39% of Isi-uzo while Ikem and Umualor has 30% ; Neke and Mbu with 31%. It was on that basis that he created, Eha Amufu development centre, Isi-uzo Central and Amanyi development centres. The Sullivan Chime maintained the status quo.
But in 2015 the administration of Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi went and created another development centre in Eha Amufu, making it two development centres. This was done without any consultation and that is how the argument of Eha Amufu having two development centres came about. It is important to note that Dr. Benji Edeoga from the new contraption of “Eha-Amufu west” was the chairman of the local government at the time it was created. Chief Osita Ogene from the same ward was also chairman of the council for over six years. We can also go on and count over 7 council chairmen from the same Eha-Amufu while the other communities have not held council chairmanship not more than once, while a particular community, Umualor has never held it, just among the five communities that make up Isi-Uzo local government
We are saying that the original three old development centers should be maintained as basis as it was done from inception, because rotation of positions into them have not been completed for every political position due for Isi-Uzo.
In 1996, the same set of politicians tried to make Eha-Amufu five wards and reduce Ikem to one ward which was stiffly resisted and withdrawn. Let it be recalled that the so called development centre being used as a basis for deceiving the Governors is not a constitutional creation. What Isi-Uzo has are eleven (11) wards. People should not use their recent closeness to the Governor to demarcate Isi-uzo to their selfish advantage and use it as basis for sharing. We take exception that all political positions in Isi-uzo LGA should be handed over to an individual while the rest of us become onlookers.
The wrongly ceded local government chairmanship, yet again, to Eha-Amufu should be withdrawn with immediate effect and returned to the rightful wards in Isi-Uzo central development centre.
This outcry is not only about the council chairmanship position where the most injustice has been perpetrated and should be reversed before it becomes late; we are also of the opinion 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.
Somebody who had gone to the National Assembly 27 years ago and whose constituency had produced the same position should allow those who have not had a shot at it to experience the representation. Individuals who had held higher positions and have lieutenants should give way for some others from their constituency including the state Assembly seat, which ordinarily should be left to younger innovative men and women.
There are communities in Isi-Uzo that have not experienced chairmanship or other political positions since 1999, yet they are being carpeted as if they are underdogs. Even if the Governor decides to “compensate” an individual with a choice to nominate a candidate, must the man or woman given the opportunity be always selfish and clannish in his nominations when he has acolytes and followers in every other ward or communities within the local government?
Agreed that Eha Amufu is the largest single community in Isi-uzo but it is not greater than the other four communities combined and that is what we have proved with the statistics above. By the way, where is it stated that a community greater than others should always suppress and take everything they have in common? The orthodox tradition in Isi-uzo is that a common porridge is usually shared among the five federating communities.
We equally note that this is not the first time this sort of injustice is taking place in Isiuzo. The last time the chairmanship position rotated to Is-Uzo central it was taken away from there and ceded to another center, quiet erroneously. Amanyi development centre has four wards as Eha-Amufu and it beats imagination how a centre that has the same number of wards as the other should now benefit more than the other.
These are the reasons we are asking Governor Peter Mbah to remedy an anomaly that he was tricked into acceptance. Injustice knows no bound and affects everyone at one time or the other. If the chairmanship can’t go to Isi-uzo central, can’t it also go to Amanyi development centre or why can’t Eha Amufu ward II that has not held the position since 1999?
The Governor should not succumb to an empty threat that an election is coming and that he needs “population.” We have deflated that myth. The Governor should also not be confused with over-bloated registers, and that 4 wards are greater than the 7 wards. He should know that the rotation principle has never been based on fabricated figures.
