By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The leadership crisis in Amichi Community, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has taken another dimension, as a group under the aegis of Amichi Concerned Citizens has called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently intervene in the community’s leadership transition and investigate the role of the State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Barrister Vincent Ezeaka.
In an open letter to the Governor, the group alleged that some recent actions of the Commissioner, particularly in relation to the constitution of a Caretaker Committee for the Amichi Development Union (ADU), could destabilise the community and trigger avoidable tension if not urgently checked.
The concerned citizens recalled that Amichi is made up of four constituent quarters — Okpala, Ezeudene, Afube and Ebenasa — with the ADU serving as the umbrella body and apex organisation through which the collective affairs of the community are administered.
According to the letter, the ADU was also the central community authority through which the traditional institution and the traditional ruler in Amichi emerged, arguing that any attempt to undermine or bypass the union’s constitutional structures in the administration of the community could have far-reaching implications for its established governance system.
The concerned citizens explained that, following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past President-General of the ADU, Chief Cletus Udebuani and a subsisting court order that places a temporary ban on leadership election in the community; the Registered Trustees (also known as the BoT of the Amichi Development Union) convened an Emergency General Assembly meeting involving representatives of the four quarters to chart a lawful course for the administration of the union pending the resolution of the leadership dispute.
They said the General Assembly subsequently constituted a 12-member Caretaker Committee, with each of the four quarters producing three representatives, in what they described as a process that reflected the provisions of the ADU Constitution and the collective decision of the community.
The proposed Committee, according to them, comprises Odikaesieme Chukwudalu, Donatus Nzekwe and Okechukwu Ojirinnaka from Okpala Quarter; Emeka Oguchi, Paul Umeh and Obiora Nwankwo from Ezeudene Quarter; Casmir Umeorajiaku, Eugene Okeke and Elder Emeka Uwakwe from Afube Quarter (with Uwakwe nominated as Chairman); and Dr. Obinna Okeke, Akachukwu Okonkwo and Oluchukwu Umeokezue from Ebenasa Quarter (with Dr. Okeke nominated as Secretary).
The group said the list of the Committee members was formally submitted to the Commissioner on August 21, 2026.
They, however, expressed concern that Commissioner Ezeaka allegedly informed the Registered Trustees on August 26 that he had also received alternative lists from other interests within the community, including a group identified as the Amichi Community Association (ACA), which they described as a minority factional group, as well as a separate list allegedly linked to the traditional institutional.
According to the concerned citizens, entertaining parallel nominations outside the process adopted by the General Assembly convened by A.D.U. (which is the government-recognized town union in Amichi) could undermine the constitutional framework of the ADU and create fresh divisions and factions in the community.
They argued that the ADU remained the central organisation representing the entire community and warned against any attempt to bypass its structures in determining who should manage the affairs of the union during the transition period.
The development, they said, had triggered off fresh concerns in the community, as they argued that the Caretaker Committee should emerge through the constitutionally recognised process of the ADU and the collective decision of its General Assembly, rather than through parallel nominations from groups or individuals outside that framework.
The group also cautioned against what it described as the recognition of unsanctioned factions in determining the leadership of the town union, arguing that political positions or appointments held by individuals from the community do not automatically confer on them the status or authority to make decisions on behalf of the community.
According to them, community leadership and stakeholder status are determined by established structures, constitutional provisions and the collective decisions of the people, rather than by political influence or interference.
The concerned citizens further expressed reservations about the alleged involvement of the traditional ruler in submitting a separate list, contending that entertaining parallel nominations could undermine the same ADU structure through which, according to them, the traditional institution itself derived its mandate.
They argued that allowing the leadership transition to be handled outside the recognised structures of the ADU would set a dangerous precedent and could weaken the constitutional framework that has historically guided the affairs of the community.
The letter also revisited the controversy surrounding the tenure of the former President-General, alleging that Commissioner Ezeaka had earlier issued a letter extending Udebuani’s tenure after the expiration of his four-year term on August 6, despite the subsisting legal dispute and concerns raised by stakeholders.
The group maintained that the earlier intervention generated tension in Amichi, recalling that the Commissioner was subsequently reported to have rescinded the said letter and directed the Registered Trustees to propose and submit a list of Caretaker Committee.
Citing section 830 of CAMA 2020, the concerned citizens also referred to allegations surrounding the management of community assets, particularly Eke Amichi Market, insisting that the legal custody and administration of properties belonging to an incorporated community association should be handled in accordance with the law and the relevant constitutional provisions governing the ADU.
According to the concerned citizens, allegations that the former President-General was involved in transactions concerning community land and shops without the consent of the Registered Trustees had further heightened the need for a transparent and lawful transition process.
They equally faulted an alleged claim attributed to the Commissioner that some stakeholders had agreed to the earlier extension of the former President-General’s tenure, noting that Chief Simon Okeke, who was mentioned in connection with the alleged consensus, had publicly denied endorsing any such tenure extension.
The group consequently urged Governor Soludo to investigate what it described as the Commissioner’s handling of the Amichi leadership crisis and ensure that no individual or group was imposed on the community outside the provisions of its constitution and the resolutions of the General Assembly.
They specifically called on the Governor to direct the state authorities to recognise the 12-member Caretaker Committee submitted by the Registered Trustees, which they said was produced through a process involving representatives of all four quarters of Amichi.
According to the group, imposing an alternative leadership arrangement or disregarding the outcome of the Emergency General Assembly could further polarise the community and lead to a breakdown of peace and order.
While appealing to the Governor to act swiftly, the Amichi Concerned Citizens said their demand was not intended to frustrate the efforts of the state government but to protect the constitutional order, unity and peace of the community.
They expressed confidence in Governor Soludo’s commitment to the rule of law, transparency and democratic principles, but warned that the people of Amichi would resist any attempt by the Commissioner or any group to impose a leadership structure that did not emanate from the recognised constitutional process of the ADU.
The group therefore appealed to the Governor to call Commissioner Ezeaka to order and ensure that the leadership transition in Amichi is resolved strictly in accordance with the ADU Constitution, the decisions of the General Assembly and applicable laws, stressing that a timely intervention by the state government was necessary to prevent the lingering dispute from snowballing into a more serious crisis.
