• Insists on zoning arrangement

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

There is growing tension in Rundele Clan, Ward 7, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, over plans by the immediate past councillor, Hon. Emenike Wokama, to seek a second tenure in the forthcoming LGA elections on August 30, 2025, in violation of the long-standing zoning arrangement in the area.

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rundele Ward 7, adhering to the clan’s zoning formula for representation in the Emohua Legislative Assembly, had last week nominated Mr. Vincent Wuzor from Omofo Community as their councillorship candidate through a consensus arrangement. However, the community was shocked to learn on Saturday that Wuzor was allegedly dropped and replaced with Wokama, the immediate past councillor from Mgbuelia Community.

This development disrupted the proposed party primaries in the ward, with Wokama allegedly imposed on the people for a second term. Youths from Omofo Community in Rundele protested against Wokama’s second-term ambition, accusing him of attempting to cause a crisis. They claimed his re-emergence was orchestrated by a serving federal minister and a former council chairman loyal to him.

The youths marched across the communities of the clan to the palace of the paramount ruler, HRH Eze Damian Ejiohuo, vowing to resist Wokama’s return. They insisted that Mgbuelia Community had served its turn, and it is now Omofo’s turn to produce the next councillor for Ward 7. They urged that the zoning arrangement among the five communities of Rundele—Mgbuolua, Mgbuelia, Omofo, Egamini, and Agba-Ndele—be respected, warning that Wokama and his supporters should be held responsible for any crisis or breach of peace in the clan.

The protesters called on the paramount ruler, the Rundele Council of Chiefs, and other stakeholders to intervene and call Wokama to order. The leader of the protesters and Chairman of the Omofo Youth Federation (OYF), Comrade Kpomasuruchi Dimpka, addressed newsmen, stating, “We are here to protest not as members of any political party, but as youths of Omofo Community. We are protesting against an attempt to deny us our right. We are protesting against injustice.

“The people of Rundele are peace-loving, and over the years, we have maintained a zoning arrangement in both our traditional rulership and councillorship positions among the five communities in Rundele. In the zoning arrangement, Mgbuolua Community takes first, followed by Mgbuelia, then Omofo, Egamini, and Agba-Ndele.

“Mgbuelia Community produced the last councillor in the last administration under Chidi Lloyd in the person of Hon. Emenike Wokama, and they have completed their tenure. Now, it is the turn of Omofo Community to produce the next councillor in the August 30, 2025 LGA elections. But what we are hearing today is that Emenike Wokama has been asked to go back for a second tenure.

“It has never happened before; no community has ever gone for a second tenure in Rundele, and we will resist it at all costs. It is Omofo’s turn. So, for the interest of peace and continued unity in Rundele, we are calling on the Eze Nwe Eli Rundele N’ogbo, HRH Eze Damian Ejiohuo, the Rundele Council of Chiefs, and other stakeholders to call Emenike Wokama to order and let the right of Omofo people be given to them.”

Another protester, Okechukwu Omeodu, added, “We are protesting today because we don’t want a crisis in Rundele. At this point, any problem or imminent conflict can be averted. Rundele has a sharing or zoning formula that has lasted for ages, where the councillorship position is rotated among the five communities, and this has helped to avoid clashes and conflict in Rundele while choosing our representatives and leaders.

“But after Mgbuolua and Mgbuelia had represented us in the last two administrations, a Mgbuelia man and the immediate past councillor, Hon. Emenike Wokama, is scheming to return for a second tenure. Omofo people will reject it by all means because this is our turn.

“What Emenike Wokama is trying to do now will only bring about crisis and conflict in Rundele, and so we are calling on our leaders to prevail on him to abandon that ambition for the interest of peace in Rundele community before it is too late.”

Omeodu clarified, “We are not against how any political party selects their candidates for the elections. But all we are saying is that their candidates should come from Omofo.”

The post Rivers polls: Rundele community protests move to deny zoning slot appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.