Amankanu's Royal Rift: A Community in Turmoil

The chieftaincy tussle in Amankanu community has been ongoing for over a decade, leaving the community without a king and in a state of uncertainty. The root of the problem lies in a disputed constitution, which was initially drafted in 2016 under the Governor Ugwuanyi regime.



According to the constitution, the kingship rotates in a specific order of seniority between Group A and Group B, namely Amankanu Ndi Ulo and Amankanu Ndi Agu. As the most senior group, Amankanu Ndi Ulo is designated to produce the king of the new autonomous community. Within Amankanu Ndi Ulo, the responsibility falls on Umuolo to produce the next king. The constitution notes that any village that fails to produce a king after six months should transfer the right to the next in line of seniority.


After six months, Umuolo made a pronouncement that they couldn't produce the king, and by default, the right was transferred to Umuogudu, which brought forth Chief Innocent Ekpete from Umuogudu to be crowned as the king. I vividly recall that the staff of the office (offor) was handed over to Chief Innocent Okorie Ekpete on December 7, 2017  by the eldest man in Umu-olo, one Chief Abel in a celebrated event. 


The same constitution stipulates that Amankanu Ndi Agu would produce the President General (PG), a position that Umuekeogu, being the first in Group B, is currently occupying. It raises questions why the 7th in line of seniority in Group A would vie for the traditional ruler's stool, which is totally against the constitution that designated the most senior in Amankanu Ndi Ulo, specifically noting the order of seniority, with Umuolo being the first, followed by Umuogudu.

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However, some individuals, led by Isaac Udeh, Basil Aja, and Dr. DC Okoro, have been accused of manipulating the system for their selfish interests. They brought forth Simon Okeke Ude, from the 7th village in line of seniority, rewrite the constitution and introduce a new system that the king can come from any village.


This move has been met with resistance from the community, who argue that it goes against the traditional and constitutional order of seniority. The community had previously accepted the crowning of Chief Innocent Okorie Ekpete as the king, and the production of the first PG from Umuokeogu in 2018, which followed the order of seniority.


The actions of these individuals have caused significant harm to the community, denying them of good things and causing chaos. They have allegedly used money to scatter the community and have even resorted to harassing community leaders with police, leading to false accusations and imprisonment.


At one point around 2018/19, these individuals went as far as to allege false accusations against nine community leaders, who were arrested and detained for over six months. Used frivolous court process to frustrate the issuance of certificate to Chief Innocent Okorie Ekpete. This has created a toxic environment, where community leaders live in fear of persecution.


The community is crying out for urgent intervention to restore peace and order. The question remains: how long will Amankanu suffer without a king due to the selfish agendas of a few individuals?


The Community's Plea:


Restore our king, restore our peace. Let the constitution be respected, and the traditional order of seniority be upheld. We urge the authorities to intervene and ensure that the community's interests are protected.


The community demands:


1. Respect for the constitution and traditional order of seniority.

2. Urgent intervention to restore peace and order.

3. Protection of community leaders from harassment and persecution.


Only through urgent action can the community hope to find peace and prosperity once again.



Concerns Citizens of Amankanu, led by Chief Dr. Joel Tochukwu Mba

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