Pardon me for conferring chieftaincy tittle on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah—Anambra monarch
A Nigerian Senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, has slammed Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State for suspending a traditional ruler who conferred a chieftaincy title on him.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Governor Soludo, on Monday, suspended the traditional ruler of Neni Community, Damian Ezeani, for conferring a chieftaincy title on Mr Ubah, who represents Anambra South District at the Senate.
Mr Ezeani had, during the Yuletide, conferred the chieftaincy title of Odenjiji of Neni on the senator.
But the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, in a statement, said the monarch carried out the conferment without authorisation from the state government and traditional ruler of the senator’s community “as required by law”.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah speaks
Reacting, Mr Ubah, in a statement on Tuesday, described Governor Soludo’s suspension of the monarch as “a game of politics,” according to a report by Punch newspaper.
“Soludo is frustrated by my rising popularity,” he said.
The senator said he was not the only person conferred with the chieftaincy title, adding that a number of other politicians, including President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, were honoured within the same period.
“Why is my own different?” he stated.
He did not, however, say if it was the same monarch who conferred chieftaincy titles on the others as claimed by him.
“The governor is frustrated by my acceptance and popularity; he is jittery about the next governorship election, but I leave him to his conscience,” Mr Ubah added.
‘No political connection’
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday afternoon, Christian Aburime, the spokesperson to Governor Soludo, denied claims by Mr Ubah that the suspension of the monarch had a political connection.
Mr Aburime stressed that Governor Soludo is unperturbed by Mr Ubah’s possible participation in the next governorship election in the state given that he has been “a serial contestant” in the poll without success.
“So, Soludo, who enjoys the overwhelming support of Ndi Anambra, cannot be jittery of such a person. Anambra is APGA (All Progressives Grand Alliance) land and the people are fully behind Soludo,” Mr Aburime said.
The governor’s spokesperson insisted that the monarch was suspended because he violated the Code of Conduct for traditional rulers in the state by failing to get permission before the conferment.
