By Felix Oti, Awka
Some stakeholders from Amanuke community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State besieged the office of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. TonyCollins Nwabunwanne at the old government house
Awka requested for the Certificate of Return of Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD who they affirmed won the last Saturday’s
President General election of the community.
Some leaders of the select stakeholders, Chief Chukwujindu Nwoye and Chief Ephraim Nwafor said they had come to ascertain what is holding the result of Amanuke President General election held at Union primary school Amanuke in Awka North local Government Area of Anambra state since Saturday.
According to Mr Nwoye, Simon Orakwe who contested the election with Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu had one and half lines while Odogwu Emeka Odogwu had three lines which is a clear indication that Odogwu clearly won him in that election, saying that they are in Government House to collect Odogwu’s certificate of return.
“What Simon Orakwe did to us that made us say that he will not go for us is uncountable and I will not mention them now. There is no electricity in Amanuke today which is their fault because they are in the habit of hijacking any government in power.
“This issue started when the electoral officers were still working to give us results and Simon Orakwe’s group started making unnecessary noise, destroying some items including the community sign post.
“I was personally there calming them down because we want peace
“On this note, We are pleading to the State government to come to Amanuke to see things themselves
“There is electricity in Isu-Aniocha, Urum and there is no light in Amanuke, some of our hospitals are not functioning because of bad representation/leadership.These are our reasons for clamouring for a change and Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu is the vehicle that will drive that change to our community.
In his reaction, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon TonyCollins Nwabunwanne thanked the people and promised to study the video clips before the state government will take position on the matter.
“All our findings in the pictures and videos will be made public, he assured.
In an interview at Amanuke earlier on Saturday ,one of the pillars of support of Odogwu campaign council, known as New Face of Amanuke, Odogwu 2026, Chief Chukwuemeka Mmekwe Ozo Echetamma 1 Amanuke and Akaekpuchionwa 2 Amanuke urged the Anambra State government to give Odogwu the certificate of return having pulled the highest number of votes.
He thanked Amanuke people home and abroad for voting Odogwu, promising to ensure he uses his capacity to mobilize for development and growth of Amanuke under Odogwu’s leadership as PG.
It would be recalled that Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu PhD, the Anambra State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,NUJ emerged winner of the new President-General of Amanuke Development Union, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
According to results from the poll, Comrade Odogwu clinched victory at the polls after scoring a total of 576 votes to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Simon Orakwe, who garnered 532 votes in the keenly contested election.
The election nearly degenerated into crisis as electoral officers from the Anambra State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, alongside officials from the office of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, could not immediately announce the results following rising tension at the venue.
The exercise, which held on Saturday, January 31, at the Union Primary School Field, Amanuke, attracted a large turnout of indigenes and was monitored by officials of the State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, the Anambra State Town Unions Council (ASTUC), as well as security operatives drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others.
Conducted using the Option A4 voting model, the election not only drew massive participation from Amanuke indigenes who came from far and near to exercise their civic responsibility, but also offered the community a long-awaited opportunity to democratically elect new leaders to pilot its affairs in the coming years, following the expiration of the tenure of the former substantive President-General, Mr. Samuel Okoye, whose term officially ended in August 2025.
While some executive positions were zoned and filled unopposed ahead of the election, the contest for the office of President-General was fiercely contested between Comrade Odogwu Emeka and Hon. Simon Orakwe. Both candidates hailed from Umudiogo village, which, according to the community’s zoning arrangement, is next in line to produce the President-General.
Although the election was reported to have progressed peacefully during accreditation and voting, the situation reportedly became tense after the counting of votes and shortly before the official announcement of the results. The tension escalated to the point that security operatives had to fire gunshots and teargas to disperse the crowd and prevent the situation from snowballing into violence.
However, results that later emerged confirmed Comrade Odogwu Emeka as the winner, having polled 576 votes from three lines of supporters, while Hon. Simon Orakwe, who had two lines, secured 532 votes.
Consequently, supporters of the NUJ Chairman lifted him shoulder-high and marched round parts of the community amid chants of solidarity and victory songs to celebrate his emergence as the Amanuke new President-General.
Addressing his supporters shortly after the election, Dr. Odogwu expressed deep appreciation to the people of Amanuke for the confidence reposed in him, describing his victory as a collective mandate to reposition the community for unity, peace, and development.
He pledged to run an inclusive and people-oriented administration that would prioritize transparency, accountability, and grassroots development, while harnessing the collective strengths of Amanuke indigenes at home and in the diaspora.
According to him, the election was not about personal victory but about the future of Amanuke, assuring that every segment of the community would be carried along in his leadership.
Dr. Odogwu also extended an olive branch to his opponent, Hon. Simon Orakwe, and his supporters, calling on them to join hands with the new leadership in the interest of peace and progress of the town.
“I thank the good people of Amanuke for the solidarity and the victory. This is a collective win for our community. There is no victor and no vanquished. I call on my brother and opponent to work with us so that together we can move Amanuke forward,” he said.
Dr. Odogwu pledged to deliver leadership focused on accountability, community participation, and grassroots development, even as he made a public appeal for reconciliation and cooperation across political divides, urging all groups and interests within the town to work together for the progress of Amanuke.
Odogwu’s opponent in the election, Hon. Orakwe, rejected the claim that Dr. Odogwu won the election, insisting that he won based on his own assessment of the votes, but acknowledged that the voting was peaceful and orderly despite the disruption that followed the counting stage.
Watch the videos and photos below:
