Scores of indigenes of Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Council of Enugu State yesterday staged a protest against what they described as an attempt to impose Jude Agu as the community’s traditional ruler.

For many of the protesters, the issue goes beyond who occupies the throne. They said it is about protecting the community’s constitutional right to choose its traditional ruler through a transparent, free and credible electoral process.

The protesters, comprising elders, youths and traditional title holders, gathered at the community square carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs.

They insisted that Umuchigbo Iji Nike currently has no recognised traditional ruler and maintained that only a properly conducted election, in line with the community’s constitution, can produce a legitimate Igwe.

They appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene by directing the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to immediately conduct an election, warning that any attempt to impose a ruler could trigger avoidable unrest in the community.

The protest followed reports that Agu had allegedly been presented as the community’s traditional ruler, a development the protesters described as unconstitutional and capable of disrupting the existing peace.

The indigenes also cited an interlocutory injunction issued by the Enugu State High Court restraining Agu from parading himself as the Igwe or Igwe-elect of Umuchigbo Iji Nike pending the determination of a substantive suit.

The order, delivered on July 25, 2025, by Justice A.A. Onovo in Suit No. E/491/2023, filed by Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete against Jude Agu and Kenneth Mbah, directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the matter is determined.

According to the protesters, recognising any traditional ruler before the court delivers its judgment would amount to a violation of both the community’s constitution and the subsisting court order.

Speaking to journalists, a community elder, Chief Gabriel Okoh, accused the immediate past Town Union Chairman, Kenneth Mbah, of frustrating an earlier process aimed at producing a traditional ruler through a democratic election.

“Umuchigbo people are against imposition. All we want is an election. If Jude Agu wants to be Igwe, he should come to the village square and contest like every other aspirant,” Okoh said.

Youth leader Anthony Ikechukwu Anike warned that imposing a monarch against the wishes of the people could divide the community and threaten its long-standing peace.

“The matter is still in court, yet we are hearing that someone has received a staff of office. We will pursue every legal means to protect our rights. The government should come and conduct a transparent election before this situation degenerates,” he said.

Also speaking, retired Permanent Secretary and one of the aspirants, Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete, said the community’s constitution clearly stipulates that an Igwe must emerge through a transparent electoral process.

“Our demand is simple. Let the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs conduct an election, as it has done in other communities. Whoever wins should become the Igwe. We are not against anybody becoming the Igwe. We are only saying that anyone who wants the throne should submit to a transparent election,” he said.

Other aspirants, Chief Joseph Iloka and Chief Josephat Ezeoha, also backed the call for a credible election, insisting that the people of Umuchigbo Iji Nike should be allowed to freely choose their traditional ruler without external interference.

As the legal dispute continues, residents expressed hope for a peaceful resolution that upholds the rule of law and preserves the community’s democratic tradition of selecting its traditional ruler.